Sweet Vengance
by elfmaiden4legs
Summary: Dan, Leah and a hostage situation. There only hope appears to be Peter... but after an argument Peter isn't speaking to either of them. Will he be able to save them before it's too late? Crap summeray but please read and review if you want me to continue!
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

**Please leave a REVIEW for this story. It's been written for Leah Day as she provided me with the idea! My muse seems to have abandoned me for now but hopefully will return soon! As usual I hope you like what you read!**

It was in the early hours of a humid Saturday morning that Dan and Peter finally opened the door to the house that Dan had occupied with Leah for the past number of years since their marriage. They had set about on a drinking and fast food binge earlier the previous evening and, come the turn of one, observing the scattered and greasy remains of partially eaten pizza boxes, chip paper and discarded beer cans now littering Peter's somewhat unlived in apartment the blond haired detective had finally decided to walk his younger brother home, being the rather more sober and coherent of the two.

Now however it took a while for his bloodshot eyes to adjust to the sudden glair of the inside. Clicking the light switch beside the door as they entered through the kitchen and sending him stumbling into a nearby table leg as he struggled to support Dan's weight beside him… much to his brother's obvious amusement.

Peter's frustration at this was evident – his facial expression momentarily conveying that his mood was not as mellow as he was struggling to maintain – although lost on the lack of anybody coherent enough to witness it. Realising then that he was probably the only one in a stable enough frame of mind to recall any of this come the morning he patiently drew up a chair before lowering Dan's unsteady form down onto its hard wooden seat and, crossing the kitchen tried to recall how to use the large electric kettle with the intention of making them both two ample sized servings of strong, black coffee.

He soon turned as he heard a thud from behind him however to see that Dan, having slipped precariously from his position on the seat to the old, tiled floor below was now sitting with his throbbing cranium resting on the chair, eyes closed against the effects of encroaching sleep.

Peter smiled, recalling the very first time Dan had succumbed to the effects of drink. It had been years since he had seen his brother looking so vulnerable.

"Chairs are for sitting on not sleeping on Dan." He informed the young brunette as he patiently made his way over, ignoring the shrill whine irrupting from the kettle, indicating that it had come up to the boil, as he did so. "Lets get you into the living room. You can sleep on the sofa tonight."

Dan opened his eyes, recoiling immediately as they were suddenly met with the sharp light of the room. "Switch that thing off will you?" He asked with a grimace, although it was unclear whether he was referring to the glowing electric bulb protruding from the ceiling or the squealing kettle as he suddenly eased himself into a standing position before carefully lowering himself back down onto the chair again.

Peter sighed. "Sugar in yours?" He asked as he removed two sizable mugs from the cupboard before filling them with the strong scented coffee granuals from the jar by the sink.

Dan nodded gratefully. "Thank you." He slurred. "Three."

Peter gingerly added three heaped teaspoonfuls of sugar to the rich aroma now emanating from the chunky mug before laying it down on the table in front of Dan.

"Thanks mate." Dan smiled appreciatively in Peter's direction, who returned his gesture reassuringly with an acknowledging pat on the shoulder.

"God Dan how did you manage to get yourself into such a state?" The blond haired detective enquired of his brother as Dan, taking a sip of the dark brown liquid before him, recoiled slightly at the coffee's sharp taste.

"You're as drunk as I am." He pointed out.

"Only just." Peter laughed, immediately grasping the bridge of his nose as he did so, sharp pain suddenly gripping his head like a vice as the alcohol in his veins finally began to take a hold of his body. "I feel sick." He suddenly interjected as he raced for the sink, hand over mouth, before hanging his head heavily over the basin.

"I bet it was that last can of larger that's done it." Dan informed him, a concerned frown passing over his face as he carefully rose form his position at the table before crossing the kitchen to fill Peter a glass of water, their roles suddenly reversed as the coffee began to have the desired effect.

"Well I didn't notice you holding back." Peter suddenly snapped as his unsettled stomach did nothing to improve his fragile mood. The change in his brother had been so unexpected that even Dan shot Peter a warning look as he abruptly pushed the glass of water away. "Anyway I thought that you didn't indulge in that anymore… you never know what it might lead to!"

"What?" Dan asked, confused by the sudden turn that the conversation had taken.

"Betting!" Peter remarked with uncharacteristic malice, to which Dan in his drunken state couldn't help be retaliate.

"Well at least I've never made a pass at my own brother's wife." He snapped. "Although I guess some people just can't have been able to help themselves if they're prepared to let it happen twice."

"Either that or the wife can't have been getting enough action where it mattered most." Peter shot back, with the trade mark egotistical tone to his voice of the toxic alcohol now coursing through his system as it finally reached his brain.

Suddenly Dan lunged at him, expression full of fury as he grabbed Peter by the neck, holding him up by the collar of his now rather dishevelled shirt. But Peter was ready for him, pre-empting his reaction as he threw a punch in his brother's direction, striking Dan squarely in the jaw before driving him to the ground.

"What's going on?" A voiced from behind him suddenly made Peter turn to see Leah standing in the doorway to the living room. The registered shock on her face told him that she had seen everything. "VJ's asleep in his bedroom!"

"Leah… what are you still doing up?" He asked.

"It was too hot, I couldn't sleep. So would somebody please mind telling me what's been going on in here!" She frowned angrily.

"It's not what it looks like…" Peter tried to explain.

"And what does it look like?" She asked as she made her way over to help Dan to his feet, smelling the immediate stench of alcohol on his breath as she approached. "How much have you two been drinking?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Dan slurred, glancing up at Leah's disapproving expression as she struggled to manoeuvre him into a nearby chair.

"Everything by the looks of it." She commented before reaching for the first aid kit under the sink to deal with a rather nasty looking slip to Dan's lower lip. "And as for you Peter," She continued as she turned to glance at her now rather subdued looking brother in law. "I think its time you went home, don't you?"

"Leah…" The young detective faltered.

"Just go Peter… you're not welcome here whilst you're in this state." She declared. For a moment though Peter looked as though he may be about to respond, but the angry glare in Leah's eyes conveyed very clearly that her decision was final and, even more obvious, that there would be no further reasoning with her any time soon, and so it was that with a despondent sigh Peter finally picked up his coat and left.

It was a further few moments however before Leah could bring herself to face her husband. "You alright?" She asked at last, a steely tone to her voice.

"Sure." Dan replied. "My lips busted, I'm bound to have a rotten hangover in the morning and my brother's an asshole, but apart from that I've never been better."

"Things probably won't seem so bad by the morning." Leah responded rather more reassuringly as her own temper finally began to cool after the initial shock of the situation had worn off.

Peter meanwhile, struggling to get his head around the events of the past few hours, left Dan and Leah's house heatedly behind. Failing to notice however the dark figure concealed within the bushed lining the garden path, tracking his movements carefully as he went.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER**** 2**

**Please REVIEW!**

When Peter finally got back to his apartment that morning the effects of the alcohol that he had so readily consumed the previous evening finally began to take a not so pleasant hold of his body and he quickly succumbed in a rather undignified position upon his unmade bed. Still fully clothed apart from a single sock and shoe which he had somehow managed to wrestle from his uncoordinated foot by the door, he shoved his throbbing head deep into the soft pillows surrounding him before allowing the welcoming ignorance of sleep to overwhelm him. Meanwhile however Leah wasn't about to let Dan get off so easily.

There was an angry pink bruise beginning to form on his lower left jaw where Peter's fist had made impact, and the bag of ice which she had promptly applied in an attempt to alleviate some of the swelling had done nothing to cool his alcohol fuelled temper, although even that was beginning to fade somewhat now that the inevitable sense of regret began to set in. There was also a small cut just above one of the knuckles to his right hand where he had caught it on the edge of the sink in his attempt to throw a punch at Peter in return, but that had been quickly bound with sticking plaster.

"Mind telling me what that was all about?" Leah asked at last.

"Not tonight." Dan pleaded, feeling somewhat sorry for himself as he massaged his various wounds. "Can't we just go to bed?"

Leah smiled softly, nodding sympathetically as she rose from her seat directly opposite him, passing behind him momentarily before gently rubbing her loving hand down the length of his tense back.

"Lets get you and this place cleaned up first though shall we?" She calmly suggested before turning to adjust an upturned chair where it lay in disarray on the floor, and collect up the scattered first aid equipment.

Before locking it away however she gently removed the plaster which she had hastily applied to Dan's hand, failing to help but wonder if Peter had also sustained any injuries that ideally needed tending to. The cut had stopped bleeding now and Dan flinched as she wiped away the excess blood with antiseptic and alcohol rub before wrapping it in a tight, elasticated bandage.

Watching his unsteady transition from the kitchen to the bedroom a few moments later with concern she took a careful look around her at the now relatively tidy and reorganised kitchen. Finding the light switch beside her she clicked it into the off position, plunging the room into darkness before turning to follow Dan, little knowing the dramatic turn that the days events were about to take over the following few hours.

**H&A.H&A.**

A few moments later the door to the now empty kitchen was forced slowly open and a young man entered cautiously, muddy brown hair, his unkempt fringe all but concealing the top half of his face above the stony grey of his eyes. The gentle tread of his trained feet bore the tell tail step of an experienced criminal, but it wasn't his money's worth that he was in search if this evening, the gun holstered securely at his waist revealed that. He had witnessed the blond man leaving a while ago, waiting patiently in wait for the rest of the house to turn in for the evening, and as he entered he closed the door silently behind him before making his way over to the table to sit in wait for the now silent household to rise, raiding the fridge of its limited supply of junk food as he went.

**H&A.H&A.**

When Dan finally awoke a number of hours later, in a much more cooperative state than he had gone to bed in he turned restlessly to see Leah already awake smiling affectionately back at him. The clock showed that it had just gone six and as he stiffly rose to adjust himself into a sitting position she stroked his recently unshaved cheek tenderly.

"Hey." She whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good." He responded, reaching down to kiss her passionately on the lips. "How long have you been awake?" He asked as he pulled away.

"Not long." She sighed dreamily. "I heard a noise, but it's alright I think… just a dream." Before her expression faded to be replaced by one of concern and a somewhat troubled aura passed across her young face.

"What is it?" Dan asked, a questioning frown now altering his own features at the sight of his wife in such an obvious state of concern. He looked gently down at where she now had her head resting delicately against his chest.

"You didn't really mean what you said about Peter last night did you?" She asked.

"And what did I say exactly? I remember that we both must have had quite a skin full by the time we got back here last night." Dan confessed.

"It doesn't matter." Leah smiled. "That's close enough to a no for me."

"How was he by the time he left?" Dan asked. "I vaguely recall the fight that we had… I'm sorry." He looked at Leah rather ashamedly.

"Don't worry about it." She shook her head, dismissive of his apology. "As long as you two are going to be alright… but I really can't be sure of what state he was in I'm afraid. I think I kicked him out rather too hastily."

"It's alright. I'll pop out and check on him later." Dan reassured her, "Make sure that he's not suffering too badly." He laughed, but his burst of good humour was to be short lived as a loud bang followed by a resounding clattering suddenly erupted from the kitchen.

"What was that?" Leah jumped.

"I'll take a look." Dan immediately offered, already up and out of bed in an instant as the adrenaline erupted through his veins.

"Be careful." Leah instructed him, but Dan had already gone.

**H&A.H&A.**

Out in the living room Dan froze, the soft carpet of the well furnished room massaging his bare toes as he stared in shock at the youthful figure now standing with his back to him as he leaned heavily against the kitchen sink. As he approached he realised the importance of staying quiet, but the words escaped him anyway, unexpected and sudden.

"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" He demanded. "Who the hell are you?"

The youth turned slowly, showing no sign of shock or fear as he met Dan's gaze and as he did so Dan was able to distinguish the figure as male, the broad brow and prominent cheek bones alleviating any initial confusion resulting from his shoulder length hair.

"Are you alone?" The young man asked.

"Sorry?" Dan frowned.

"Are you alone?"

Dan thought about this for a moment, but not wanting to involve Leah in his current predicament he realised that there could only be one response left open to him.

"Yes." He replied at last, "I'm alone."

"LIAR!" The youth suddenly screamed. "I've been watching the house. There's a woman and a child, where are they?"

"I don't…"

"Where are they?" Suddenly the youth pulled out his handgun and aimed it directly at Dan. Dan froze, taking in every detail of the mysterious intruders sweat drenched face, the greasy skin of adolescence, the cold stare.

Suddenly the youth ran at him, pain erupting throughout Dan's entire body as he took several blows to the chest and ribs, knocking him to the ground... but still he could not bring himself to say anything.

Meanwhile Leah, hearing the foreign voice and the commotion now taking place outside, had already called the police.

**H&A.H&A.**

On the other side of the Bay however Peter was just beginning to stir. He groaned as the memory of the evening before came flooding mercilessly back to him before making his unsteady way to the bathroom to splash cold water on his pale and clammy face. His head still throbbed persistently and his stomach churned unsettlingly as he entered the living room and the stale smell of alcohol and fast food from the night before quickly overwhelmed him. He thought depressively about what Dan had said, angry at himself for the violent stance that he had taken in an attempt to vent his own frustration, and wondering if Leah would ever be able to bring herself to forget what she had witnessed… more so how long it would take him to get over this person who he knew in all reality had not been him.

He felt trapped, lacking strength and will power enough to spend the day tidying up the apartment and unable to bring himself to pay Dan and Leah a reconciling visit he made an impulsive decision.

Running back into his bedroom he shoved a few essentials into a thread bare overnight bag before throwing a fresh set of clothes over his throbbing head, not worrying about a shower, he would freshen up when he got there.

He would pay his detective friends in the city a visit. Despite the heated terms which he and Claire had parted on nearly a year ago now things had been much better between them recently, and thanks to telephone technology and email correspondence they had almost reconsummated the friendship which they had once lost.

Besides it would give both sides some adequate cooling off time and Peter the opportunity to have something which he had not experienced for what felt like a very long time – some much needed time to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

**As usual please REVIEW! Especially if you like what ou read and would like me to carry on with it!**

Jack yawned restlessly as he looked up from his dormant computer screen at the old plastic clock in front of him, ticking the minutes away towards the end of his shift. It had been a long night, during which nothing much had happened and for now all he had to do was wait impatiently for whoever the other officer was scheduled to relieve him. As he waited, checking his emails and saving all his previous evenings work idly before shutting the computer down, he stretched, hearing the sound of the phone ring at the front desk and the first call of the morning as he did so. His colleagues manning the morning shift at the station were in for a much busier time of it than he had had the evening before that was for sure.

He rose from his seat as he heard somebody approach the office door from outside. Thinking that whoever was due to relieve him had just come on duty he threw his thin summers jacket over his shoulders from the back of his chair and was about to collect up the few essential items which he had brought with him on duty and throw them into the cluttered depths of his bag when his captain entered, his face contorted in a look of deep concern and urgency. Jack's priorities immediately changed from when he was finally going to be able to go home for some much needed rest and relaxation to the apparent situation which was about to unfold right in front of him.

"I'm sorry Jack." The Captain spoke severely, "But we're going to need you to remain on hand here I'm afraid."

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"We've just had Leah Patterson on the phone. Apparently somebody broke into the house sometime early this morning. They've still got her and Dan trapped inside." He explained.

"What!" Jack failed to stifle the exclamation from escaping him, as immediate concern for his friends registered in his facial expression. "They're ok aren't they?"

The Captain looked back at him gravely and in that moment the lines creasing his brow appeared to intensify as it became evident that he was struggling to somehow devise a response to a question which in all reality and the context of the situation he did not know the answer to. "Leah's very shaken up." He explained at last. "But I think she's safe for the moment. The assailant hadn't found her by the time she put the phone down in any case. She says that she thinks Dan might be hurt though. Apparently he went out to check on things when they both heard a noise… although she's more concerned for VJ at the moment I'm afraid."

"What about Peter?" Jack suddenly thought. "Have you informed him yet?"

"We're in the process of trying to contact him at the moment." The older man sighed, "I'm afraid Detective Baker has so far failed to respond to his radio or mobile phone though." He continued, his usual demeanour becoming more and more serious with each assign moment as his composure wavered under the rising pressure of the situation.

"Well we have to find him." Jack explained, more heatedly than he had initially intended as the initial shock began to wear off and was replaced by mounting anxiety and uncertainty for the welfare of his friends. "He needs to know."

"Yes I know that Sergeant." The Captain suddenly snapped. "But right now our main priority is getting Dan and Leah our of there alive… and with the minimum level of stress possible. We have no idea as to the condition of this persons state of mind, or what they may be capable of…"

Suddenly there was another, more lighter knock at the office door and another, much younger female officer entered, cutting the Captain short.

"Excuse me sir." She apologised politely. "Three patrol cars have just been dispatched to the scene now, and we've sent word to the city to remain on hand in case we need to phone in for backup. The rest of us have assembled in reception when you're ready to join us sir. We still can't get in contact with Peter though I'm afraid."

"Well we'll just have to leave him for now." The Captain's tome sank still further regretfully. "Keep trying and make sure you let me know if you get anywhere with him. We have more pressing matters to deal with in the meantime."

"Captain." Jack had a sudden revelation which he felt compelled to voice under the mounting pressure of the situation. "If you could spare me for a couple of hours I could make a quick patrol of the local area and see if I can find him." He glanced down briefly at the time shown on his watch. "It's only eight o' clock." He explained, looking up again before continuing. "He can't have got far."

The Captain gave Jack a dubious glance, silence cutting through the room as he considered the young Sergeant's suggestion with intense criticism. They couldn't really risk sparing a single officer under the current seriousness of the situation, although it was only right that they should send someone to find and check on Peter, at least to find out why he hadn't been answering his phone. Lives were being put at risk if they failed to react to the situation promptly and with optimum man power, but Peter's behaviour was so out of character, and, being Dan's brother they couldn't rule out the possibility that something serious had already happened to him. Finally he nodded, rubbing his forehead anxiously as he resigned himself to the only conclusion he could draw from this impossible scenario and Jack made for the door.

"You've got two hours." The Captain called after him, all eyes upon Jack as he stepped out through the front reception and out into the car park outside. Hopefully it wouldn't take him that long he thought to himself as he got into the first patrol car nearest to him and sped off down the road.

**H&A.H&A.**

It took Jack ten minutes to reach Peter's apartment, during which time he spent the entire journey worrying what in fact he might find once he got there. As he pulled up in the car park below the ascending block of modern, whitewash apartments he noticed that the young Detective's car was absent from its usual spot, although that didn't mean anything he told himself reassuringly. Peter had briefly mentioned his planned binge with Dan that previous evening the day before, he would have likely left it somewhere safe with plans to pick it up in the morning rather than risk driving it home that late at night he thought before making for the steep stone staircase leading up to Peter's apartment on the second level. His heart sank and his mind began to race yet still further however as he approached the deserted looking abode. His knockings and persistent ringings of the bell were met with eerie silence, leaving no other answer open to him but the fact that Peter was not home. In a last ditch attempt t discover the whereabouts of his missing superior however he looked around helplessly for any sign that anybody who may have seen Peter leave earlier that morning was around, but the entire block appeared deserted. Finally, just as he was about to leave a woman appeared from three doors down. She was elderly, with a plump and heavy appearance that reminded Jack of someone out of one of the Disney movie's which his mother used to buy for him and Lucas when they were younger, but she had a friendly vibe about her which Jack immediately liked.

"Are you looking for Mr Baker dear?" She asked with an attentive smile and what Jack perceived to be a twinkle in her spectacled eye.

Despite the circumstances he felt compelled to offer her a warm glance in return before responding.

"Umm, yes, yes I am." He continued finally. "Do you know where he is?"

"I'm afraid you've missed him." The old woman explained. "He left about an hour ago, said something about going to the city for a few days or something. To be honest he didn't seem quite himself this morning. He seemed rather moody when I spoke to him, although I expect he gets tired doing the job that he does."

"Sorry." Jack cut in more urgently now. "But you said that he had said he was going to stay in the city for a few days, did he say where he might be planning to stay at all?"

The old woman shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry I can't help you there I'm afraid dear." She sighed.

"That's alright." Jack forced a smile as he had already began to make his way back towards the staircase. "You've been helpful enough already thank you."

But as he made his way anxiously back towards his car he couldn't help but wonder what he was going to do now and with that sped off in the direction of the highway, seeing no other option left open to him but to follow and bring Peter home.

**H&A.H&A**

Meanwhile Peter checked the clock, he had been driving for over an hour now and was beginning to tire. The early morning traffic which he had encountered upon first entering the highway had provided him with little chance to refresh himself after the night before, and as his anger began to dissipate guilt over the rash and impulsive decision he had made began to take over... although he was still seething. Even so he couldn't rid himself of the strange sense of foreboding which was now beginning to play on his mind. Glancing down briefly at the display on his mobile phone he aimed to distract himself away from these thoughts, only to realise that he had switched it off in his haste to leave uninterrupted earlier. He wondered whether he ought to turn back, but got to thinking about Dan and Leah again. His recollection of the events the night before making him realise now more than ever that some time spent apart may do them all some good. His previous feelings of anger turning to confusion, and then back to anger again, only this time directed partially towards himself as he continued along in the direction he had started.

**Well thats all I've written for now. I can make no promises about updates but can only hope that when the summer holiday comes around and bordom strikes my muse may return to me. I for one can't stand an unfinished story which I'm really enjoying and so rather than put my readers through this I tend to delete stories of mine which haven't been updated in a number of month and I'm struggling to continue with. I've already had to do this with one of my stories (although I have my no means completely given up on it)... but hopefully this will now be the case with this one!**

**Thank You.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**So I finally got my muse back! YIPPIE! And the next chapter is up. Please REVIEW!**

It took Jack longer than he had expected to gain an advantage on Peter's trail. Having left the Bay in hasty pursuit of the young Detective he had failed to take into account anything which may prove potentially obstructive to his need to locate and bring home his superior, and once leaving the many small and winding side roads which connected Summer Bay to the main highway he was frustrated to find himself suddenly stuck behind a long backlog of traffic.

Although Peter had left the Bay over an hour before, Jack's main source of hope still came from the chance that it may not have been early enough for him to bypass the huge accumulation of rush hour traffic. Even so the thought suddenly occurred to him that if Peter was to reach the city before he had chance to catch up with him, with no idea of where he was heading or how the situation was unfolding back at home, it would make it seriously difficult if not almost impossible to trace his wereabouts in time.

It was with this thought in mind, and his mounting frustration and panic that, it occurred to him to switch on the panda's sirens and _force_ his way through the heavy flow. But at that moment the cars in front of him began to move more freely - almost as though they had been spurred back into motion in sympathy with his plight, and after a few further moments of creeping along the highway he suddenly found himself completely free of the jam and on the move again.

He radioed into the station a few times during the proceeding quarter of an hour, with still no sign of Peter his anxiety was continuing to grow over the continuingly uncertain fate of Dan and Leah, and of course the little boy VJ. Although the news that he received from the station wasn't bad, it could hardly be described as good either as there was still no change to the situation, and as time dragged on slowly Jack was beginning to lose hope.

He wondered whether he had been foolish to even try to track Peter down in the first place. He should have turned back as soon as he discovered that he had left for the city. But Jack was not a quitter, and now he had started out after Peter he was determind to see it through.

As it turned out however it was getting on for at least another half an hour when he was stopped quite abruptly again, only this time it was a car he saw pulled into a small side road petrol station which caught his eye. With a leap of the heart he immediately recognised it as Peter's. The floral white paint work and finish weren't enough to go on alone he knew, but as he double checked the number plate with the officer on duty back at base there became no doubt that the car he was now looking at belonged to his superior and he quickly pulled off the highway and alongside to wait for Peter's return, thanking fate… and God, all the time for how lucky he had been.

As he stepped briskly from his own car the fowl smell of petrol fumes, intensified by the morning heat and styfling humidity assalted his senses. Just to be sure he decided to walk the perimiter of his superior's car whilst he waited for him to return, checking every insignificant detail as he did so.

He didn't have to wait long however, as after only a few minutes Peter emerged looking tired and unshaven, making a beeline for his vehicle. He noticed Jack almost immediately, although to Jack's surprise the welcome he received was far from what he'd expected as Peter made straight for him, face alight with frustration. It was somehow apparent that his plan to slip away without being followed had now been thwarted, and for reasons which Jack was currently unaware he was far from happy about it.

"What are you doing here?" Peter enquired coldly as he approached.

"I was sent to search for you." Jack explained, quite taken aback by his Detective's obvious display of anger now at his turning up… or maybe it was due to the lines of exhaustion beginning to form around the young blonde's facial features. Even so in that moment there was an uncharacteristic flash behind Peter's eyes, providing Jack with an early warning to tread carefully, although he was determined not to be intimidated by this. He had been searching for too long to turn back empty handed now, and the still unknown fates of Dan and Leah back at the Bay only made his need to get Peter home as soon as he had had time to explain all the more urgent.

"Yeah because I didn't turn up for work this morning, I understand." Peter snapped sharply. "You're all the same aren't you? Can't stand the thought of anybody putting anything else before the job… even themselves. Well get this Jack, I'm tired and I'm fed up, I'm fed up of only ever doing the best that I can for those people that I most love, only to have it thrown back in my face when I least need it! So I'm taking an unofficial break, and you can tell everybody back at the station that I said that as well, aren't I a least entitled to that?"

As Peter said this Jack began to realise how strange it was that things should be unfolding in the way that they were. It was almost as though Peter had expected to be followed, had rehearsed what he was going to say in light of this scenario developing, and yet he had pulled into the side of the road as though even before Jack caught up with him he may have been having second thoughts. Even so that all seemed irrelevant now, there wasn't time to go into it, as seizing the moment Jack knew that Peter _had to_ be told about his brother and sister in law. Although he wasn't looking forward to being the one to have to stand there and tell him, especially under what were obviously turning out to be rather unusual and difficult circumstances anyway.

"Peter, I'm afraid it's Dan and Leah." He revealed after a moment. "Something's happened."

"I don't want to know." Peter snapped. To Jack's surprise his temper seeming to intensify with the mention of Dan's name. "If they're the reason you're here, if they've sent you to look for me, then I'm afraid you've had a wasted journey. They made it quite clear where they stand last night. There's just been far too much bad water under the bridge for us to ever go back to the way that we were… maybe it would just be easier for all involved if we went our separate ways in the future."

"But Peter they're in trouble." Jack cut in, growing impatient in his desperation to impress the urgency of the situation upon his superior.

He's confusion was growing, he failed to conceive an explanation for Peter's unexpected and irrational behaviour at the mention of his brother and sister-in-law, but his words seemed to have the desired effect, as, with this, Peter suddenly began to take notice, his anger immediately meting to give way to concern. Confusion written all over his face.

"What?" He frowned.

"Look I don't know what happened between you and Dan last night." Jack explained. "But early this morning somebody broke into Dan and Leah's house, and as far as we can tell we now have a potential hostage situation on our hands!"

Peter paled, Jack could tell that he was distraught, when only moments before his anger has made him almost impossible to reason with. Now however, in light of this new information, it became painfully apparent that it had all been a phase, an irrational reaction to some as yet unknown situation, in all likelihood fuelled by alcohol the night before and Peter's obvious state of tiredness this morning. He wanted to be able to comfort the Detective, reassure him that everything would be alright… although he realised that any hope offered on his part would indeed only be false hope, and would benefit no-one in the long run.

"Are they alright?" Peter asked. Even as the words left his lips he realised how stupid his question must seem in light of the situation… but he had to know the worst of it so far.

"Leah and VJ hadn't been harmed the last I heard." Jack explained. "Dan may have sustained some physical assault but from what I could gather he wasn't seriously injured."

This piece of news seemed to strike even closer to Peter's heart, driving the nail in even deeper as he struggled to regain control of both the situation, and his dwindling emotions.

"We need to go to them, now" He commanded, already climbing back into his car as he did so. He slammed the door. "I should never have left them."

"You couldn't have prevented any of this." Jack frowned as he followed suit. "It's not your fault."

"I should have been there for them." Peter glared stonily back at him through the open window of his unmarked vehicle, but Jack was prevented from continuing any further. "It shouldn't have mattered. what happened last night. I should have been there for them!" In that moment Peter's engine flared into life and he sped off back towards the main highway, in the opposite direction to which he had more recently come… leaving Jack to follow as quickly as he could from behind.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

Meanwhile back at Dan and Leah's place things had taken a most urgent, although not entirely unexpected turn. Fortunate though it was that Leah had called the police when she had, for the second time she had picked up the receiver to call for help she had found that their intruder must have severed their lines of communication to the outside, leaving them frighteningly vulnerable and totally alone. Opening the door just a crack she had, to her relief, at least managed to make eye contact with Dan who had subtly signalled to her to remain where she was and not do anything rash… and as the obviously agitated youth had at first shown no initial desire to search the rest of the house, she had initially been content to do so. VJ at least remained safe for now, peaceful and oblivious to the potential danger which was now unfolding but a few feet from his bedroom, but there was little knowing what circumstances could escalate into if Leah acted out of blind panic at this stage.

As time wore on however, through listening to the strange young man's bizarre interrogation of Dan, (for despite his unusually effeminate appearance at first glance, Leah had finally managed to determine that he was indeed a young male), things finally began to spiral in a downwards direction towards violence. Leah watched helplessly as the rage began to swell in the eyes of Dan's attacker, an animal instinct which appeared to rise from the depths of his subconscious and gave the impression of somebody who was getting an unnerving sense of pleasure from seeing another suffer.

As the youth raised his palm, making as if to backhand her husband in the process, Leah could stand remaining silent no longer. She flew from her hiding place, before she even had a chance to compose herself, logical reasoning abandoned in a moment of blind rage and anxiety, and perhaps also the knowledge that they were now, to all intense and purposes, at sea. Much of the more flimsy of the kitchen furniture became overturned in the process, as the bedroom door ricocheted off the wall in her haste to put herself between Dan and the intruder who now threatened him.

Suddenly she found herself within startlingly close proximity to the outraged young man, who immediately froze in a position which conveyed the utmost of surprise and confusion as to what had just taken place… and who the fearsome young woman whom now stood bold as brass before him may be. Leah was now so close that she could clearly see the beads of sweat decorate his pale forehead, leaving a repulsive trail of salty moisture as they trickled unevenly down his brow. However, although her intentions had been undoubtedly admirable in trying to protect her husband, she had inadvertently put the entire family in even more danger by her impetuous emergence from her hiding place. For now the youth realised that the woman whom he had espied earlier, and whom until now Dan had denied all existence of, must be she inadvertently throwing the child's existence into question also, and the backhand which had been initially intended for Dan was now re-directed in Leah's direction.

As she was flung to the floor, hand raised to stem the trickle of blood now oozing from a burst lip, Dan raced at the intruder in an attempt to disarm him. A single gunshot, angled directly above his unfortunate hostages heads however had the immediate effect of turning the tables in an instant, and Dan found himself frozen to the spot, hands raised above his head in a gesture of submission.

"You lied to me." The youth crowed, his tone even and unfaltering, showing no sign of remorse, and the quiver of a crooked, victorious smile, his hard features convulsing as he now aimed the gun directly at Dan himself.

Leah's eyes were wide in horror at the situation which her actions had inadvertently caused. Words now became uncomfortable to her, and the voice which she heard was not easily recognisable as her own as she turned to face her attacker with a renewed and viscous instinct to not only survive, but stand up against being thrust around in her won home, and protect her young family. The side of her face which had taken the full force of her earlier assault was undoubtedly swollen, and continued to protrude however.

"Please." She faltered, struggling to keep the gravely tone from her voice, as it began to crack under the emotional strain, and failing to blink the hot tears from her eyes. "No more of this! I have an innocent child asleep in the next room, I don't want my son mixed up in any of this. Just take what you want and go, take anything! All I ask is that you leave us alone!"

As if on cue VJ suddenly began to cry, having been abruptly woken fro his sleep by the sound of gunshot, and Leah immediately made to respond to his angry and fearful screams, her duty towards her child outweighing any fear she had previously felt for her own life.

"I am by no means an unreasonable man my dear." The youth slurred as he now trained the gun upon Leah's active form, although taking no step towards verbalising his threats. Even so Leah still did not stop completely. In fact I may have at one time been prepared to let both you and the child go…" he continued, "but I do not take kindly to being deceived." And he glared accusingly in Dan's direction.

"Whatever qualms you have with me… although I cannot recall ever having met you before." Dan growled. "That is between us. Just let my wife and child go! If I have ever deceived you it was for the want of protecting them from the trial which you have just subjected me to! Whoever you are, none of us have any issue with you here!"

"I'm very glad to hear it." The youth smiled mockingly at him. "But you did not let me finish. As I have already said, I am by no means an unreasonable man, and I still may be able to come to some arrangement in which the child goes free… only the child mind you." He emphasized icily, "and of course everybody would have to calm down and listen to what I have to say first," he directed this last statement directly towards Leah, "Do we understand each other?" He asked finally.

Leah nodded.

"Gooood."

…and, seeing no other way out of their present danger for her young son (who was undoubtedly the most innocent and most vulnerable party to be mixed up in any of this), she struggled desperately to overcome is concerned crying, which had presently turned into the confused wailings for his mom and Dan's attentions. Making her way heart wrenchingly towards the kitchen table she reluctantly sat in a fearful and most drawn out silence, waiting to hear the true nature of this final desperate lifeline which was supposedly to be handed her child's way… all the time all too aware of the abhorrent weapon, which was still trained upon her and Dan in turn.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Well here it is, 'Chapter 6'. I really hope that you continue to enjoy what you read, and please don't forget to REVIEW! I really do appreciate it.**

Despite the precious time lost during the morning's early hours, from learning of Peter's mysterious and uncharacteristic disappearance, and Jack's subsequent search and ardent urgency to bring him home, the tension had been nothing compared to that which was felt by both parties during the drive back. Jack watched with a sense of foreboding as the car, driven by Peter, in front of him sped in and out of heavy traffic, overtaking drivers whom were themselves far exceeding the speed limit, and gaining speed almost at the same rate as he gained distance until he was almost out of sight. Jack's immediate concerns had now transferred somewhat, from the unknown and unpredictable situation which continued to play out back at Dan and Leah's place and their consequent fate, towards Peter and the young, blonde haired Detective's own well being. After the initial shock discovery of what had taken place in the Bay that morning nobody had stopped to consider how the news was going to affect Peter or even why their colleague, his life usually so heavily influenced by his work, hadn't turned up at the station that morning. But the man was obviously exhausted, and the sudden bombshell regarding what had befallen his brother and sister-in-law could hardly have done much to aid his already severely compromised state of mind, and Jack was worried.

Meanwhile Peter had already radioed ahead into the station to let them know that he was on his way, and would be going directly to Dan and Leah's place. His response to the constable's inquisition as to why he hadn't turned up for work that morning had been an awkward one, simply explaining that he hadn't been feeling quite himself. Rather a cliché as it was he thought, it hadn't been very far from the truth… and he was feeling even less in his usual frame of mind now as more pressing issues than events which had resulted in the rift between him and his brother the previous evening threatened to overwhelm him.

He was perfectly aware that his driving could be described as somewhat erratic… almost manic in its manner. Although having the magnetically charged siren attached to the roof of his car gained him certain rights of passage with fellow drivers this could obviously only take him so far, as many horns were honked in his direction as he passed, and he had already lost sight of Jack through his rear view mirror. Peter had begun to feel increasingly ill… not only in his physical state, although as his stomach began to tighten and his chest began to feel as though his heart had just missed several life giving beats he knew that that would have been bad enough, but in his state of mind also. A million unwelcome and seemingly unconnected thoughts had started to force their way up from his subconscious, contaminating his rational mind, and making it difficult for him to focus on one thing for more than a matter of moments, at the forefront of them all the nagging impression that all this was his fault. He felt sick to his stomach and as the sweat dripped profusely from his brow he fought to repress that which had steadily began to drive him towards almost certain desperation. But it would seem that nothing could calm his anxiety.

Despite all of this however he managed to retain a clear enough state of mind to just about catch sight of his fellow officer through his rear view mirror before pulling off the highway and into the many smaller side roads a few miles drive further north. Given the urgent circumstances of the situation he was reluctant to slow his pace, but with his heart beating so violently against his chest, the blood rushing to his ears making his head pound, he couldn't see how he could be expected to carry on as he had been for very much longer.

Just then however Jack's voice cracked in over Peter's radio, and, as he picked up the receiver with one shaking hand, the decision had within an instant been made for him… Jack's voice of reason was just too overbearing to ignore.

"Peter, Pete mate its Jack. Just listen to me for a moment will you? You have to stop Peter. You're going to kill yourself if you carry on like this!"

"I should have been there for them Jack." Peter spoke, voice quivering with emotion, tone rich with self-resentment as his anger and blind fear manifested itself as irritation towards the trailing Sergeant.

"And you still can be now." Jack explained, trying to instil a calming influence over the Detective. "But you need to take care of yourself as well mate."

"Do you think that I'm really concerned with my own inconsequential needs at the moment Jack?" Peter asked. "If anything happens to Dan and Leah…" He trailed off, and for a moment Jack thought that he detected a slight trace of weakness or breathlessness to the Detective's tone, cementing his concerns that Peter wasn't coping with the situation or handling himself at all. "You don't understand do you? This is all my fault."

"You keep saying that Peter." Jack responded. "But I don't understand. Please just pull into the side of the road, at least until I can get to you, we can carry on to Dan and Leah's place together."

But the line of communication on Peter's end had gone suddenly silent.

"Peter… Pete are you still there?" Jack persisted, concern growing in the pit of his stomach with each passing moment that the silence remained unbroken. His uncensored thoughts beginning to run away with him.

'_One… two… three…'_ It was just a breakdown in communication he thought to himself, he would hear Peter's welcome response come crackling over the radio puting his mind at rest any moment now.

'_Four… five… six…'_ Peter was probably just contemplating his options, sitting tight on the side of the road somewhere until he felt ready to resume contact.

'_Severn… eight… nine…'_ Something had happened, it was the only plausible explanation, Peter would have responded to him by now otherwise.

'_Ten…'_

Jack sighed with relief as Peter's voice, sounding slightly stronger he thought than it had previously, crackled over the radio.

"Ten minutes Jack, you've got ten minutes, after that I'm going on with or without you. Got it?" The other end of the line went dead.

Jack slammed his foot down on the accelerator.

"Shit!" He muttered privately to himself as he saw the long line of semi-stagnant traffic creeping along the highway at brief intervals ahead of him. He punched the siren impatiently as he drew closer and was relieved to watch as the cars ahead turned slowly out from his path.

Jack knew that the Detective had by no means pulled off the road as he had advised… the low drone of the car engine in the background during his last communication had been enough to tell him that. Although he had almost certainly slowed his pace, it would not be long before he resumed his previous haste, and Jack didn't know how he could go about telling Dan and Leah that in the midst of this whole terrifying situation something had happened to Peter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Hey all! I know it's been simply ages since I updated this but this chapter has been written for months and I thought that it was about time that I finally upoaded it! As always I will do my best to update when I can, but I'm so busy at the moment that I'm not sure when the next installment will be as the next chapter isn't written yet, but all I can say is keep checking back! Please please please REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!! And as usual Enjoy!!**

Jack had been shocked by how distracted Peter had appeared when he had finally caught up with him, having spent only an additional quarter of an hour on the road. Not so much in light of the situation being what it was, and under such testing and extreme circumstances, but by the fact that he had never had cause to view the young Detective in such fragile form before. He hadn't managed to catch sight of him within his superior's allocated length of time, however all anxiety regarding the reliability of Peter's promise to not wait any longer for him than he already had done, and his concerns for the Detective's seeming dismissal to show an interest in this own personal safety fortunately hadn't turned out entirely founded.

Peter had finally pulled into the side of the road, at what point in his journey Jack could not be sure, he had not been able to rouse Peter over the radio since he had initially put the receiver down on him. However, as he had pulled off the highway and progressed his way down the smaller connecting side roads leading towards Summer Bay he had finally caught sight of his superior's car parked in the narrow dirt verge of the main road, the young Detective still sat restlessly in the driver's seat. As he had approached Peter however he had been relieved to see that he had at least appeared quite responsive and rational minded, expecting to have a battle on his hands simply in trying to get him to comprehend how he was to deal with the seriousness of the situation, and with a focused and reasoned frame of mind. Breathing heavily, in a manner which almost bordered on anxious, the Detective's complexion had been palled no doubt, the sweat prickling his neck and face, ad the troubled expression imprinted deep within his bloodshot eyes had concerned Jack immensely however. The news of Dan and Leah's plight had devastated the Bay that morning, but they were by far not the only one's effected by all of this, and Jack had hated to see this happen to friends, people whom he knew and cared for unutterably, and, as was in the case of Peter, had worked alongside for a good many years.

Peter, although inclined to protest at the suggestion that he should allow them to continue the rest of their journey with Jack driving them in his car, had finally relented to sow his pace however, giving Jack the opportunity to keep a closer eye on his superior's speed… and at least making him feel a little more comfortable about covering the remaining distance to Dan and Leah's house in the same manner which they had conducted their journey so far.

As they eventually reached Summer Bay however, progressing their way through the town, it quickly became evident that events were far more complicated than anyone could have initially comprehended as they finally reached Dan and Leah's to see the vast set up of patrol cars, various officers busying themselves outside the house n a manner which conveyed all the extreme urgency of the situation, and Jack realised immediately for the first time that things were quite probably going to get a whole lot worse for them before the were likely to get any better.

Jack's unthinkable suspicions were only confirmed as they were approached by the solemn paced Captain just at the moment that both cars pulled over alongside the rest, ad Peter got out slightly ahead of Jack, meeting his superior half way up the narrow lane before the front of his brother's and sister-in-law's house.

"Well, I must say it's good to have you join us Peter…" The Captain spoke, his tine harrowed as he approached. The sternness of his statement conveying nothing short of that which Peter had expected, his welcome was far from warm and accommodating, a far cry from his superior's usual radiance of control in fact… and had it not been for the seriousness of the situation they were now all facing his reprimand for not reporting in for work that morning would have been a severe one undoubtedly. But none of this had seemed to matter to the young Detective the previous evening. "But I won't ask you where you've been now." The Captain continued.

"What's the situation?" Peter asked.

"Little change since we received the initial phone call off Leah earlier this morning as far as I can tell." The Captain explained gravely in response to Peter's query. "Although we have no way of making direct contact with Dan and Leah whilst they are still inside to ensure that they're doing alright. The intruder has however released little VJ just a short while before you arrived so we're hoping whoever they are they may well be in a reasonable enough frame of mind to come round with a little bargaining."

"And what if that doesn't work?" Peter responded.

Although the Captain fought to keep any anxiety out of his voice at this point the look he gave the young Detective in response to this however was far from encouraging. Jack, who, having now sorted everything which had been left to organise inside his own patrol car, had come up directly behind Peter to listen in on the conversation, and fill himself in on the situation observed the older man's deep concern radiating from deep within his tired and troubled eyes, expression meaningful and pressed. "Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves for the moment hey Peter." He responded avertingly at last however. "Lets just see how things go first."

Jack turned his attentions back to Peter, he looked at though he may have been about to respond to this for a moment, before, Jack was somewhat relieved to observe, he nodded his head regretfully "May I see VJ?" He requested.

"Fraid not at the moment." The Captain shook his head apologetically. "We've removed his to a place of safety for now, away from all of this… Don't worry." He continued as he observed Peter's troubled expression become even more anxious. "He's being well looked after. He didn't look as though he had sustained any injury on first glance, but we'll get him checked over at the hospital later just to be on the safe side… he's a very lucky boy, let's jut hope we can do the same for the rest of his family before the day's out."

He patted Peter on the shoulder reassuringly as he noticed the young Detective's preoccupied expression fall even further into deep distraction, before turning away.

"Sorry sir." Jack ventured to question his superior at this. "But when do you intend to lay down the grounds for bargaining with this man?"

The Captain turned to look at him. "We're setting up a line of communication with the house now Sergeant Holden, not too long and we should be able to at least set some standard proceedings going." He explained.

"Sir I'd like to be there when you attempt to make contact." Peter, who had been listening intently to this second stage of the conversation, lapping up the Captain's information with anxious foreboding cut in now.

The Captain sighed frustratedly at this. "You know the rules Peter, I'm sorry but I don't want you involved with the case this time I'm afraid. You can stay, but you're only here because there is nothing I can physically do to force you to vacate the scene, and Sergeant Holden was so insistent that you should be brought here." He aimed a warning glance at Jack as he said this, before continuing. "Any thought of you becoming actively engrossed in this case are completely out of the question though, I'm sorry."

Peter's eyes burn with the fire of his desperation as his Captain' words struck him like a knife to his soul. "For God's sake Dan's my brother!" He snapped, gesticulating wildly with this.

"And that's exactly why I don't want you involved!" The Captain responded, expression severe and adamant, tine conclusive as the full force of his own fraid tempers immediately became clear. "I'm sorry but this is all too personal for you to deal with. I cannot allow it!"

"Excuse me sir." Another voice from behind suddenly interrupted them however, diverting the Captain's attentions and cutting their conversation short. "We're ready for you now."

"Thank you constable." The Captain spoke hoarsely as he turned to leave with his junior colleague. The young man only looked be in his early twenties, jet black hair a mess and wind rushed as the slightly flushed and sticky appearance to his face, smeared with streaks of sweat, only served to highlight his unaccustomed nature to the frantic pace at which he had been forced to work that morning.

Despite all of this however Jack realized that his shirt looked freshly laundered and, glancing down, despite the fresh scuff marks and layer of dry sandy dust which had obviously been kicked up throughout the course of frantic activity surrounding the morning's proceedings, his shoes still bore the tell tale sheen of a fairly recent polishing… such enthusiasm conveying only one possible explanation to Jack, he himself now thourally inducted into the various comings and goings of the police force, that the young man couldn't have been out of the academy long. Perhaps even this being his first real case, and he was obviously anxious to make a good impression.

Although he recognised still that he was not one from their own division, guessing that he must have been one amongst a number of other officers drafted in from neighboring units to increase Summer Bay's man power and their control over the situation.

Jack and Peter followed. As they steadily began to make their way in the direction of the house, the uncertain young constable out in front, although with a considerable purposeful pace to his step conveying quite a persona of confidence, Peter following thoughtfully not too far behind, the Captain edged carefully towards Jack, muttering discreetly to him in his ear as he did so.

"Keep an eye on him." He instructed, indicating the blonde haired Detective out of the corner of his eye, before proceeding to continue. "The last thing we want is him putting his own life at risk as a result of this whole sorry situation."

Jack nodded, understanding full well the true potential for the scenario which his superior was getting at, without even need of further explanation. It was not unthought-of of that in his deeply distressed state of mind Peter should attempt to do something to personally disarm the suspect given the opportunity, and such action could prove disastrous for everyone involved.

It wasn't only the safety of Dan and Lea which had to be taken into consideration now, most of the Summer Bay police force had turned out to put their lives at risk in order to try and save the two residents, as well as many more besides. Living in such a tight knit community meant that in the most of cases one knew or at least had cause to encounter the other on some occasion, and as suggestion began to filter through the community that there had been no clues revealed as o the identification of their assailant at the time of Leah's phone call everyone began to wonder what could possibly possess a complete stranger to come into the small town and take two of their most law biding citizens hostage.

So it was that as they neared the end of Dan and Leah's driveway the Captain ushered them all behind the open door of an awaiting patrol car, before taking up a solid looking, somewhat dirt streaked megaphone from the front seat.

"Whatever you do don't do anything hasty." The older man turned to engage Jack as he knelt down beside him. The heavy piece of communicative machinery swaying involuntarily from side to side as he spoke, as Peter set himself down close beside. "You you're not to do anything!" He continued, instructing the blonde haired Detective as he turned to face him in turn. "…Whatever happens! Last thing we want is anybody startled at this stage. It's not only Dan and Leah's lives at stake now, and remember what I said, you're only here because there's very little I can actively do to keep you away… I mean what I say Peter, I'm sill concerned that you're too personally involved in all of this, I don't want anybody else's life put at risk as a result… including your own!"

Peter failed to respond to this however and Jack reached out to squeeze his arm reassuringly before leaning over to utter comfortingly in his ear. "They'll be alright, you have to have faith in that Peter. We'll get them out of there."

The Captain nodded curtly in apparent agreement with this, although his expression was set sympathetically and empathetic, before continuing. "Right, lets get going with this then."

Though, as difficult as the morning had already been the trail of the day was only just beginning, and in that moment little did Jack realise how close his earlier concerns that the worst was yet to come and that things were going to get a whole lot more complicated before they were going to get any better had come to reflecting how events were about to unfold as the rest of the afternoon wore on.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Hey all! Yes it's me again! I'm finally back!! :D**

**Well what can I say, apart from that I'm very deeply sorry to all my loyal Home and Away readers for not updating in so many months!**

**I hope however that you enjoy my new chapter! Be patient, it may take me a while to get back into the swing of this story, but I hope you enjoy what you read, and please do REVIEW, especially as I haven't updated in a while. I've missed hearing from you all!**

**Thank you all for being so patient!**

The Captain mopped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand before yet again laying hand to the bulky model of the megaphone in prelude to making another attempt to try and spur at least some kind of positive response or reaction from the current occupants of the property. Fifteen minutes had now passed since their attempt to make contact with inside had initiated, and with silence being the only reward they had so far received for their efforts the strain of the situation had began to take it's toll on all of them, but especially Peter. Even in light of the current summer heat, which was surprisingly muggy, even for the time of year, his cheeks appeared more flushed than could normally be expected, especially in light of his pale complexion, and his clammy palms and distracted appearance only highlighted the sheer degree of stress and pressure that the current situation was putting him under. Jack frowned in silence, concerned as he noticed Peter cup his head in his hands on a number of occasions when he thought that nobody was looking, and finally making his way over, bending down beside the young Detective where he sat in the front seat of the patrol car. He placed a reassuring palm against his knee as he did so, squeezing the bone slightly. Peter looked up with this, his exhaustion evident as he did so.

"How're you holding up?" Jack smiled.

The blonde Detective simply shrugged. "I've had better days." He admitted.

"You need to rest Peter, you're exhausted." Jack advised, voicing his concern.

"I'll rest once we've got Dan and Leah out of there!" Peter snapped, "Do you really think I'd be able to rest anyway, knowing that they're still in there?"

The sound of pounding footsteps, and frantic feet could suddenly he heard from behind however, and as both men heard a voice calling their names Jack felt a hand upon his shoulder as Peter looked up. It was Fitzgerald.

"Hey you two." She panted. "The Captain wants you back immediately, there's been a new development. It would seem our intruder may be ready to talk to us."

Peter, still pale and exhausted, immediately jumped up from his seat with this, nearly colliding with Jack as all trace of his previous urgency immediately returned. He made his way with haste towards where he knew the captain had set up base, with only a brief glance in the way of the young brunette officer with this.

The older man turned as he heard Peter approach, his prominent features showing almost as much strain as the Detective's, although not quite, and the young constable whom it became evident the captain had been corresponding with at the time suddenly rose from his position in the sandy road, stealthily making his way from the scene.

"What's going on?" Peter asked as he approached.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" The captain spoke. "We've made contact, he wants to talk."

"What? When?" Peter's tone became almost desperate for information with this, leaving the captain to question just how he was to manage the blonde Detective and go on handling the developing situation.

"Just sit tight and wait!" He barked, "I mean it Peter!" He continued, eyebrows raised as he commanded the utmost respect from his men, just as Jack approached. The Sergeant placed a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder as he came up alongside, locking eyes with the captain as his superiors words registered, before he and Peter took up position alongside their commanding officer.

They waited several long minutes however before the captain's suggestion of so called further developments in the case began to ring true, and they finally heard the click of the front door being unbolted. Jack could feel Peter's tension beside him.

… and there she was. Leah emerged first, obviously dishevelled but apparently unharmed, followed closely by their young suspect. She was struggling under the grip of the young man, who had a tight, unwavering grasp. He was notably gaunt in appearance Jack observed, before he even opened his mouth to speak, with a mop of grizzled brown, unkempt hair.

"Which one of you is Peter?" He demanded.

Both Jack and the captain turned to look at the blonde haired Detective with this, doing their best to restrain him, holding him down under his apparently overwhelming instinct to stand up and reveal himself there and then, in the newly introduced presence of Leah, all to little avail.

"Come on Peter…" Jack assured him calmly, quietly.

"Stay where you are!" The captain commanded.

Peter pulled away from them however. "No!" He told them both. "Captain, let me do this! Let me talk to him!"

"I can't Peter!" The other, older man explained. "Not in the state you're in! I've told you, you're too personally involved! I'm sorry!"

The young suspect spoke again.

"The man, Dan, has told me that his brother is a cop, Peter. You want to talk? Fine! But I'll only talk to Peter!"

"I'm here!" Peter suddenly pulled away completely, revealing himself however. Hands raised unthreateningly. "I'm Peter!" He explained. "But who am _I_ talking to please?"

"Peter!" Leah cried as he revealed himself, the small smile of relief clearly immediately etched into her features, if not somewhat disguised by her concerned and fearful expression.

"Shut it!" The young man ordered her, pulling the young woman closer to him. "And my name is my own business!" He responded to Peter.

"It's alright." Peter assured him. "I only want to talk to her."

"You'll talk to me!" He told the blonde Detective.

"Alright." Peter sighed, hands still held high in resignation, "we can talk… but I need to know, is everyone alright in there?" He asked cautiously, but tone firm and unwavering.

"They're fine." The young man with stony grey eyes responded, keeping his responses short and frustratingly vague.

Peter aimed a sideways glance in Leah's direction with this therefore, the two sets of eyes meeting in silent correspondence for a moment, and Leah nodded subtly in confirmation of the young man's answer.

"Why don't you let her go?" Peter tried again by asking after a moment.

"No! She stays with me!" The young suspect continued to respond however, much to Peter's obvious dismay, as he fought to disguise a deep sigh, closing his eyes against growing exhaustion and intolerance. "They say you're a cop?" The young man continued to ask.

"That's right." Peter responded.

He paused with this however as though in consideration of his options, before continuing with a most unexpected ultimatum. "I want you to get me a car Peter." He replied. "Can you do that?"

Peter faltered with this, quite thrown and unsure as to handle the situation from hereon in however. "Well I'm not sure that I can do that you see…"

The young man became quite uncooperative with this however, and began backing up further, back in the direction of the house. "Get me a car within the hour or I shan't be responsible for me actions." He ordered.

… and with that as abruptly as they had appeared, and as Peter opened his mouth to reason with him, the young man disappeared back into the house, dragging Leah with him.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

**Hey guys, well as you can tell Chapter 9 is finally up! Thanks for being so patient with me! Enjoy" :D (Oh and please don't forget to REVIEW!)**

An hour later Peter had tried in vein and failed to find a vehicle which they could freely offer, the department being unwilling and quite understandably so to cooperate with the impossible terms of the young man… and under any other circumstance, being understanding of both the rules and undertaking of his own profession, Peter would have agreed. But nobody could deny that this time things were different, this time things were personal… and Jack was becoming increasingly concerned about the wellbeing of the young blonde Detective.

Peter's heart was racing, his limbs aching with the prolonged exposure to the adrenaline which had been coursing through his tired body at alternating intervals over the previous few hours and he was uncomfortably aware that he was perspiring greatly, almost at an alarming rate. He was exhausted, head still spinning from the long forgotten hangover of earlier that same morning, although he wouldn't admit so much to Jack, whom he had observed keeping a close eye on him from a distance on more than one occasion, nor either to the Captain.

The older man meanwhile paced and reflected on what was to possibly be done next. Time was no longer on their side, if indeed it had ever been, and they had already spent far too much time trying to find an alternative means of getting Dan and Leah out of their current situation. The toll that the stress of the day had taken on Peter however was obvious to all, he was obviously exhausted but refused to rest even for a moment. It was essential, as much for his sake as his brother's and sister-in-law's therefore that they got the situation under their control.

"Sir." He turned as he heard Fitzgerald approach. "It's almost time." She explained. "Have you thought what you're going to say?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Nothing we _can_ say." He explained. "Nothing other than the truth at least."

"I don't suppose it's…?" The young brunette began, but the older man cut her off before she could continue.

He shook his head gravely, pre-empting what she was about to say. "Too risky." He spoke. "If the young man was to discover that we _had_ misled him in any way… well it could make things a lit worse, not better."

Fitzgerald looked as though she may have been about to respond to this when another, third voice disrupted the conversation however. "Sir." The captain suddenly heard the significantly deeper tone of his Sergeant, beside him this time, and turned to observe Jack looking down at him.

"It's time." Jack offered his superior an emphatic smile.

The captain sighed, and nodded. "No point in putting this off any longer then." He spoke, before adding almost as an afterthought. "I've done all that I can Jack… I can't adhere to the young man's terms, you know that."

"I know." Jack nodded.

"Come on then, let's get this over with." He spoke with a deep, gritty intonation to his voice, opening up a padlocked treasure chest of raw and concealed emotion just for a moment, before revising his tone and continuing. "We have to find another way of getting Dan and Leah out of that building!"

"Sir, Jack!" The two heard another voice calling them as a third man approached, and as they both turned they saw Peter running up beside them. "You know what you're going to say to him?" The young blonde haired Detective asked his superior.

The Captain shook his head. "There is no car we can offer him Peter, you know that." He spoke as he placed a reassuring palm upon Peter's burning shoulder, clammy with sweat, but whether the Detective's or his own, the older man couldn't tell. "I'm going to have to tell him the truth."

Peter raised his head to look up at the deep blue of the sky in despair in that moment, before cupping his head in his hands and smearing sweat down his face.

"I'm sorry." The Captain sighed, as Jack patted Peter supportively on the back. Fitzgerald approached the small group at that moment however, and as she wrapped a friendly arm around her boss, the Captain turned to walk away.

Just at that moment however Peter pulled away from the young brunette who still embraced him, surprisingly tightly, as though holding him back. But he was too strong for even her current grip, and she released him as soon as he pulled away from her.

"Let me do this then Captain." Peter begged.

"What?" Both Jack and the Captain stopped in their tracks, turning to face Peter now.

"Let me deliver the news to him." Peter continued. "He knows me, he's already spoken with me once."

The Captain shook his head. "And that was against my instructions." He uttered. "No Peter, it's too risky."

"Sir, I was the one he asked for the car, he may take it better from me if I try to explain the situation. I may be able to talk him down."

The older man looked from Jack to Fitzgerald with this.

"He's got a point sir." The young woman pointed out at this. "He is the only one who's had any direct dealing with the suspect."

The older man let out a long, heavy sigh of breath.

"I still don't like it…" He spoke, "Peter I'm not even convinced you're up to this."

"What other choice do we have?" The blonde haired Detective asked. "What ever we do Dan and Leah are still trapped inside, and we have no car. I want to do this!"

The captain took a few more moments to think the situation over however, before finally and reluctantly nodding his head in eventual agreement. "OK Peter." He complied with some hesitance. "But I want to have a word with you first!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

As Peter picked up the now burning hot megaphone a few moments later his hands shook slightly, a tremor and weakness of his joints which forced him to stop and compose himself for a moment. The device had been sitting, discarded, on the front drivers seat of one of the patrol cars for well over the hour now, it's black foam soaking up the suns scorching rays, so much so that even the cool air, drifting through the open door of the front drivers side made little difference to the rising humidity of the vehicle. The fiery rubber however barely registered with the young Detective as the sudden weight of the megaphone pulled against his muscles and joints painfully, and he flinched instinctively, almost dropping its heavy frame to the floor as he released his grip of the handle, only slightly. Although he barely registered his reaction consciously, so preoccupied had he been with the current situation, and the wellbeing of his brother, Dan, and Leah.

"Ready Peter?" Jack suddenly approached him from behind, as the observed the young Detective's response.

Peter's head was by now pounding with the stress of the day. He felt as though he was wading his way through a dream… a particularly bad one, although the Captain had been reluctant to allow him in on the case in the first place, unless he could prove himself up to this, and so he simply turned and nodded to Jack.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He sighed. "Thanks Jack."

"Don't mention it." Jack smiled, as he turned to join the rest of the unit who had already assembled themselves strategically behind patrol cars, providing sufficient cover to hide and shelter them from view, but each and every one of them ready if in the event that they may be at all needed.

Peter wiped the perspiration from his brow with the back of his hand, rubbing his clammy palms together as best he could, so as to take a tighter hold upon the handle of the megaphone, not wanting to risk dropping it during his pending encounter with the young intruder for the second time that day.

Just as he was about to take up position however he heard the sound of Fitzgerald's softer more effeminate tone reach him.

"It'll be alright Peter." She assured him as their eyes met for a moment in mutual understanding, and it quickly became evident to Peter that she had approached him from the opposite side as Jack had departed his company. "I know it doesn't seem that way at the moment, but it'll all work out alright."

"It's not your job to make promises I know you can't keep." Peter uttered to her impatiently.

"I know." The constable nodded, a solemn expression set upon her face, communicating to Peter that this probably wasn't a promise at all.

"Then why are you doing this?" Peter asked, a combination of confusion and growing anxiety plaguing his already exhausted features, as he frowned, partially a result of his miscomprehension, although largely a result of his growing headache and lethargy.

"Because it's also my job to be there for my colleagues." She responded simply after a moment. "And you would do the same for me… just go easy on yourself Peter."

And with that she turned, walking away from him in the direction of where Peter knew his unit had finally based themselves, under the obvious direction of the Captain to not delay the proceedings for any longer than was necessary, and she was gone.

Peter himself now shifted, megaphone in hand, as he turned to face the situation he now expected to soon encounter. He wasn't much looking forward to having to explain to the young assailant that they hadn't managed to get the car that he had requested… rather fearing his reaction to this news, judging by their previous conversation.

He sighed, before turning his attentions back to what he was going to say however… there was very little he could under the circumstances, besides the truth, but this didn't stop him wondering how he was going to phrase his current predicament in as diplomatic a way as possible.

"Well the hours up." He spoke, voice shaking, raising the heavy piece of equipment to his lips finally. "I'm ready to talk."

The front door of Dan and Leah's house opened ajar, making Peter suspect that the young man may have been standing there for quite some time, watching, waiting for some kind of a report, and a harsh voice responded, "Just you?"

"Yes, I'm alone." Peter answered, as assuredly as he could muster, "So… are you going to come out so that we can speak face to face?"

The door creaked open a little further, and Peter could just make out the figure of Leah standing close beside the young man. Obviously there was little chance of an escape attempt on her part, and the Detective had no idea what kind of a condition Dan would be in, when, indeed if, they finally managed to successfully get them both out, and he could see him once again.

"Right…" The young man faltered. "I'm coming out… I've got the woman, so no funny business though… no sudden moves!"

Peter raised his hands above his head resignedly. "I have no intention of it!" He explained. "I just want to talk!"

The assailant stepped out onto the front patio, revealing himself to them for the second time in that moment. This time however, there appeared something very different about him, much less assured and more nervous, making Peter feel edgy. It was going to be difficult enough to reason with the guy under the best of circumstances, he realised that, but even more so to keep him calm, and make him listen to what Peter now had to say. Even so however, he persevered.

"Well, did you get it?" The young man asked.

"I'm afraid I need to talk to you about that." Peter responded.

"What do you mean?" The young man frowned almost warningly, "Need to talk to me about it?"

"Well…"

"Either you've got me the car or you haven't!" He suddenly interrupted sharply with this however, making Peter reconsider his approach, although it wasn't as though there was very much he could do to soften this blow under the circumstances.

"I can't get you the car I'm afraid…" Peter explained cautiously. "Under the circumstances of your request…"

"What do you mean?"

"We have instruction never to bargain with…"

The young man suddenly laughed maliciously with this however. "Oh I get it!" He spoke. "You police officers, you're all the same aren't you?" Before adding mockingly, "Well, no car for me, no freedom for them!" He smiled, glancing with Leah at this, as she tried to tear herself away from his grasp. "Oh no you don't!" He snapped as he caught her by the collar of her shirt, pulling her back.

"Just calm down so we can talk!" Peter stepped forward urgently at this.

"Oh I don't think so!" The young man cried as he began to drag Leah backwards towards the house. "You've had your chance Detective! I warned you all…"

As he retreated back into the main building, shoving Leah firmly in before him, he slammed the door abruptly, the main skeleton of the door ricocheting off the frame as the two made harsh impact and swung back on its hinges, ajar.

From within Peter immediately heard a scuffle ensue, before his heart leapt as he heard a terrifying scream. He was just about to put one foot forward however, prepared to follow the small group back into the house, when a loud bang suddenly erupted and resounded in the atmosphere, as the gun went off!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Well here it is, the next installment! Sorry that it's taken me an age to update, but thank you for being so patient with me! As usual I hope you enjoy what you read, and please don't forget to REVIEW!**

Silence seemed to ensue from that point onwards, Peter feeling strong arms grasp him from behind, pulling him back as he started on a fear stricken path towards the house. Everything felt as though it was moving in slow motion, as he turned to see Jack out of the corner of his eye, fighting to restrain his young officer. In that moment a cacophony of sound seemed to flood Peter's senses, as though the sound of gun fire had somehow prejudiced his hearing to that sound… and that one sound only. He suddenly realised that he was shouting, that there were disjointed voices calling his name, ordering him back, as he finally managed to pull himself free from Jack. He realised that with this sudden swift, sharp movement however he had knocked the young sergeant from his feet and to the floor, but in all honesty in that moment Peter really didn't care. He knew that Jack was fine however as he heard him scramble to his feet, a cloud of dust and sand kicked up around the pair of them in Jack's haste to right himself, and Peter's haste to break away.

"Peter!" He heard the Captain call from behind him, heavy footsteps merging with the dry sand, but Peter was too breathless to respond.

"Peter don't!" He heard Jack cry.

The blood was by now pulsing thorough Peter's veins at an alarming rate however, his ribs ached, his head throbbed painfully with the pounding of his heart, but adrenaline was fuelling his one and only objective to get to Dan and Leah by now, nothing else mattered, and as each lasting, painful breath he now took ripped through him, there was no longer any reasoning with a man, his soul stripped down to the very rawest of human emotion by fear and grief.

"No!" He told both of them adamantly. "No! I have to get them out of there!"

As Peter approached the house he was at least relieved to hear Dan's voice emanating from within however. The whole situation had seemed to pass through so many different stages throughout the course of the day, from first finding out, to each and every vaguely significant event which had led them all now to this point here, from passing mere minutes painfully slowly, to agonising hours in a blur of time, as moments merged into each other. Leah hadn't even cried when the assailant had pulled her back, dragging her back into the house before him, and Peter, whom hadn't even registered the sheer magnitude of the hour which had just ticked by so monotonously, so enwrapped had he been in finding that one illusive, impossibly obtainable vehicle; Dan and Leah's ticket out of there, knew that Dan had been her sole, and overwhelming reason for that. Peter knew in his heart of hearts that even if she could have succeeded in breaking away, she could never have been able to leave Dan, and he himself wasn't about to leave either of them now!

As he edged his way through the couples front door, calling Dan and Leah's names he completely forgot to cover himself from any potential hostility however, so preoccupied was he with reaching them both, that he left himself open and vulnerable.

Although as he turned the corner from the small front hallway, into the modest living space, the first sight he saw shocked and terrified him to the depths of his aching heart, and in that moment the reason for that shrill and agonising scream became evident. Dan was leaning over Leah's apparently lifeless body, himself bruised and bleeding, obviously much the worse for his own ordeal, and suddenly Peter fell numb with shock.

Peter became vaguely aware of his brother gently shaking his wife as he called her name, desperate in his attempts to stir her from unconsciousness.

"Leah!" He cried, "Leah! Come on sweetheart just open your eyes for me! Come on baby! It's Dan! Come on, please Leah, please honey! Just let me know you can hear me… look at me Leah!"

"God No!" Peter cried, as he raced to her side. "Leah!"

Dan looked up as he heard Peter's voice, as his Detective brother approached. "Peter!" He uttered in apparent surprise and relief. There was both pain and fear in his eyes, tears of relief that it was all apparently over now, mingled with those he shed for Leah. Hs whole expression shifted immediately however, with the apparent joy and release of seeing Peter standing before him, before another thought seemed to suddenly occur to him, another totally different reaction, one of dawning terror and apprehension flashing across his face before re-moulding Dan's soft and often kindly features into a harsh and angry glare.

"Peter," He snarled. "Just go, get out! You're not welcome here!"

"What?" Peter mused.

"This is all your fault!" Dan snapped, indicating the unconscious Leah with this. "_Your_ fault…" Ad with this Peter noticed his brother look away, more tears glimmering in his eyes. He knew that Dan didn't believe what he was saying, anymore than he himself believed what he was hearing. So why was he saying this…?

Suddenly Peter heard a sound from behind him, from where he had his back turned to the kitchen. Dan looked up, expression set in fear with this, as Peter turned to see the young man, eyes cold, and set like stone, brown hair a grizzled mop of shoulder length mats and tangles, now standing in the doorway. His pale, gaunt figure framed within the wood panelling connecting the two adjoining rooms. He looked even more unnerving and unstable from this close up Peter thought to himself, although this wasn't the only thing he observed about the young assailant's appearance which struck him with dread, as his attention was immediately drawn to the object firmly clasped within his bony, unwavering hand.

He said nothing… the gun simply trained upon Peter.

With this Peter immediately made to reach for his own, heart racing as he was suddenly hit with the full gravity of the situation, but he was already too late…

"Peter!"

As the gun went off the last thing Peter heard was Dan shouting his name, before he was suddenly struck with an instant, hot, searing pain to his side, drawing all breath from his racing lungs and aching chest as he hit the ground with a heavy, and profound thud… before everything went black.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

With the sound of this second gunshot, the already assembled group of police officers; including Jack, the Captain, and Fitzgerald who had been anxiously preparing themselves to enter the house after Peter, came to the same conclusion that they now had no other option left open to them but to intervene… and, as they cautiously made their way in the direction of the building, Jack and Fitzgerald locked eyes in silent communication, raising their weapons in a stance of self-defence. Ready to cover each other, if the need to do so arose.

They all felt sick… now in the grip of the very situation they had feared, and that the Captain had tried so desperately to avoid. They had all witnessed Jack's battle with Peter, how he had fought with him so adamantly in an attempt to prevent the Detective from entering the house… they were all in agreement that there had been nothing else the young sergeant could have done.

As the small group of officers were about to enter the building however, a third and final gun-shot rang out.

The air tore through Fitzgerald's lungs, stopping short of a single breath, and a sudden, sharp gasp of shock escaped her. Sweat soaked Jack's face and palms, as the gun, still grasped tightly within his shivering hand (still reverberating with shock) and raised in defence, slipped precariously through his fingers… the loud eruption of the gun powder still resignating through the air and permeating their ear drums, like the continuous beat of their hearts.

As they finally entered; Jack first, closely followed by the Captain and Fitzgerald as a few other officers raced in from behind, it was to find a scene of total chaos and confusion.

Jack gasped as he noticed Peter lying on the floor, Dan kneeling beside him… suddenly the sound of the young man's desperate cries dawned on them all, Leah lay not too far away… close enough for Dan to be able to reach out to her and take hold of her by the hand as he tried desperately to comfort Peter, who was groaning and writhing in evident pain. The intruder lay across the other side of the room, dead.

"Pete, I'm so sorry!" Dan spoke as the other man gasped for breath, gasping with the pain within his brother's arms.

"Dan!" Peter cried out, in an apparent state of fevered semi-consciousness, and fighting against a wave of excruciating pain with evident distress. The cause of the Detective's dilemma wasn't immediately apparent, although as Jack stooped down beside his superior he noticed the shot wound to the young Detective's side, the sergeant's sudden appearance at the scene apparently went initially unnoticed by the two men however.

"Peter!" He sighed in shock, as, upon closer inspection, the full gravity of the situation became apparent… Peter was now fighting for his life!

Fitzgerald immediately bent down to check on Leah, as Jack did his best to contain the situation at his superior's side, the young female officer relieved to discover that although unconscious the young woman was at least still breathing, and alive. The Captain made his way over to check on the young assailant, before making arrangements to get them all out of there.

He dispatched a couple of officers to call for an ambulance, before instructing them to clear the area of any potential onlookers, although he was reasonably assured that there wouldn't be too many, now that the initial threat had cleared… only the families immediate friends and remaining family would remain.

"I'm so sorry Peter!" Dan cried, taking hold of his brother's pale hand. Peter was sweating profusely now, his skin blanched, and whole body shaking, as his other hand gripped his side tightly. Blood seeped through his fingers, staining his bleached white shirt, and Jack, thinking quickly to try and stem the flow of blood promptly whipped the table cloth from the small dining table behind them, applying much needed pressure to the wound… making Peter cry out with the pain as he did this.

"I'm sorry Peter!" He apologised, frowning with concern as his tone came out strained. "Just hang in there! Help'll be here soon!"

"I never meant for this to happen!" Dan continued, tears of grief and despair glistening in his already bloodshot eyes. "I never meant to make you feel unwanted Peter! I was trying to save you! Please forgive me!"

"What's to forgive?" The Detective forced a smile, opening his eyes to look at Dan for only a moment and gritting his teeth with an anguished groan. "I'm just pleased you're both alright…" He explained, although his voice was weak, and breathing shallow. His head lolled as he said this, and eyelids slid gently closed.

"Peter?" Dan enquired of his brother's intentions urgently… although it was evident to all that he was still conscious.

"Jack?" The Sergeant heard Fitzgerald call his name and looked up to observe as she indicated Leah… it was quite obvious by the look of his colleague's expression that there was something deeply concerning her about the young woman's condition.

"Keep the pressure on!" Jack instructed Dan as he swiftly removed his hand from the wound in his superior's side with one expert movement, and replaced it with Dan's. "And keep him talking!" He added. "I'll be back in a minute!"

Peter was still convulsing rigidly under the intensity of the pain of his injury, Dan doing his best to reassure his older brother as Jack raced to Leah's side.

"Dan… it hurts…" He heard him cry out desperately as he reluctantly turned his back on him for a moment. "Oh God!" He gasped, struggling for breath. "I don't know how much longer I can take this!"

"I know Pete mate…" Dan responded. "But just hang on in there… keep talking to me Pete… keep telling me how you feel!"

"How is she?" Jack asked, turning his attentions to Fitzgerald and Leah. He could see the fear and confusion felt by all, expressed now within the look on the young female officers face. Her eyes were wide, cheeks flushed, although the rest of her skin slightly paler than usual… yet still not nearly quite as pail as Peter's currently unhealthy tone, her response was one conveyed with a breathless and terrifying anxiety.

"I can't wake her!" She whispered.

By now Peter was beginning to find it increasingly difficult to breath, and his groan of pain were becoming more intense, and yet more worryingly so, fainter and more feeble by the minute. Dan had his hands firmly clamped down against the cloth, stemming the almost constant flow of blood from the wound. However the deep red patch now staining the Detective's shirt continued to grow.

"God, Peter, where's all this blood coming from?" Dan asked. "You must be bleeding from somewhere else!"

"Dan, my back's burning!" Peter groaned, and with this, the fear and anxiety as well as the evident pain abundant within his brother's expression as he spoke with this, Dan did all he could to reassure the blonde haired Detective.

"Alright mate, lets roll you over and I'll take a look." He soothed.

Peter cried out however as the action caused a further influx of pain to surge through his wounded side at this, and Jack turned, looking up, as he heard Dan's subsequent gasp of shock. He too was swearing inwardly to himself as he noticed the almost parallel injury, corresponding the shot wound at the front, to Peter's back, and, as he and Dan locked eyes with each other, he rushed to find another length of material, anything, to swath the second bleeding wound.

"Dan… Dan…" Peter choked as he began to loose consciousness, his voice barely an audible whisper, and tone slurred as his eyes began to close for the second time, and this time somewhat more permanently.

"No, no, no!" Dan cried. "Come on Pete mate, stay with us! Don't let go now!"

But as Jack approached, finally kneeling down beside the two men, a role of bandage in hand, he realised that it was to no avail. Peter had already lost consciousness…

… and it was with this that they finally heard the sound, a sound which came as music to the two men's ears. The welcome siren of the approaching ambulance as it finally pulled up outside the house.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"What happened in here Dan?" Jack sighed, finally able to ask his shell shocked friend a few minutes later, once the paramedics had managed stabilise Peter, who had as yet still failed to regain consciousness. Leah's injuries had been assessed and Fitzgerald had accompanied her unconscious form onto the ambulance first, whilst paramedics fought to stem the flow of blood issuing from Peter's abdomen, and stabilise him enough in order to enable them to transfer him safely.

Both men had felt the sheer relief as they had seen the first of the paramedics to appear on the scene, and they had been able to hand over Peter's care to more experienced and better qualified hands. Dan's sigh of relief had been audible as he had witnessed one of the men fit an oxygen mask over Peter's face and the positive, if only minor, effect that this had had upon the Detective's laboured breathing, and the application of the intravenous line, before finally allowing himself to be checked over.

Now, still holding his brother's cool hand, he turned to the Sergeant.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"What happened after Peter entered the building?" Jack persisted, and with this Dan's expression changed into one of fraught concentration, his eyes filling, and stared, fixatedly, straight ahead, as though suddenly recalling the full horror of the situation.

Jack, taking his friend's other hand, squeezed it reassuringly with this, and, finally Dan responded, although his tone was still distant. He didn't look at Jack, just turned his gaze to settle upon Peter.

"He obviously forgot to arm himself." He explained. "Because there was no gun in his hand. When I first saw him I was so relieved… so pleased to see him… I thought it was all finally over. But then I realised that that monster was still in the house." He turned to point angrily in the direction of the dead assailant at this. "I tried to make Peter feel unwanted, so that he would leave… I didn't want anything to happen to him… I made him believe that it was all his fault. But then the man reappeared and shot him anyway before he even had a chance to defend himself!"

Dan started to cry again, but Jack remained silent, not wanting to interrupt his friend's reflection.

"After that," Dan continued. "He threatened to kill me… I was just so angry I went for the gun. I don't even know what I was thinking about, just the pain, and the fear… I didn't care what happened to me, I just realised that I had to do something!

We fought, and the gun must have gone off, because the next thing I remember was the bang, and then he was lying on the floor, dead."

He paused for a moment, tears glistening in his eyes, before turning to Jack, and continuing, "And all I remember thinking was, 'rather him than Peter!'"

Jack nodded in understanding, wrapping a reassuring arm around his friend's shivering shoulders with this. It was a gesture of comfort and friendship not frequently expressed in such a way between two men… but it had the desired effect however, and Dan quickly composed himself once more.

Suddenly Fitzgerald reappeared however… eyes bloodshot, and skin pale, it was clear that she'd been crying.

"What's happened?" Jack asked in alarm, in response to his colleague's deeply fraught expression.

Fitzgerald faltered, her eyes turning to glace briefly in Dan's direction as he continued to watch Peter intently, before finally registering her silence, he turned to gaze at her expectantly.

"Leah's heart stopped…" She explained finally, choking back tears. "She was in full cardiac arrest for… about three minutes." She sobbed. "But, they've managed to get her back… she's stable now." She sighed, and it was only then that Dan and Jack were able to distinguish that the tears which Fitzgerald were now crying were in fact tears of relief.

"Oh God!" Dan exclaimed.

Suddenly the machinery which had been, up until now, being used to keep a steady check on Peter's vitals began beeping erratically however, and Dan's attention was immediately drawn back to his brother's deteriorating condition.

"What's going on?" He asked, paling instantly with this, and panic stricken. "What's wrong with him?"

"Blood pressures dropping." One of the paramedics explained as he felt for a pulse. "Pulse is weak… there's a big bleed somewhere. We need to move him now!" He glanced at his colleague.

"We can't move him… not until we've found the source of the bleed." The other paramedic advised, substantially younger than the other, comparative inexperience was evident throughout his youthful features, and the way that he continued to spurt out standard textbook technique, with little consideration for the extenuating circumstances in hand. Jack sighed, he was obviously new to the job, perhaps this even his first real emergency, and the Sergeant was anxious that this was just the kind of inexperience Peter didn't need handling his case right now.

"Peter… Peter its Dan!" Dan called to the young Detective. "Come on mate, please stay with me!"

"If we don't move him now he's not going to make it!" The other man explained. "We need move him now!"

"For God's sake!" Dan suddenly snapped, "He's been shot! How much more information do you need!"

Jack placed a reassuring palm against Dan's shoulder with this, squeezing it comfortingly as he tried to calm his friend.

"On the count of three…" The elder of the two medics instructed the younger, who to the Officer's relief relented under the seniority and inarguable experience of the others gaze. He nodded nervously, as they prepared to load Peter onto the stretcher. "One… two… three…" and Dan moved swiftly backwards in order to give them more room, as they carefully loaded the Detective's limp form onto the soft mattress… massaging his tender ribs as the action caused the bones to convulse, and jarring the already bruised muscle.

"Do you think you can walk to the ambulance?" One of them turned to him to ask, placing a thermal blanket over Dan's shoulders.

Dan nodded. "Yeah…" He faltered, watching Peter as both he and Jack followed as he was swiftly transported outside, and into the awaiting ambulance… hoping against hope that the two people who meant more than any other to him, Peter and Leah, would survive… and knowing that both were now fighting for their lives.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

It felt like forever to Dan before the ambulance finally pulled up outside the hospital, and he watched with bated breath and helpless anxiety as the double doors were thrown open by the awaiting medics, and Peter and Leah were carefully weald out ahead of him, before he was himself helped into a wheelchair, where an orderly awaited patiently for him to stiffly manoeuvre himself, with the younger of the two paramedics, as Jack followed silently and subdued with worry behind, off the edge of the emergency vehicle… and all three were finally rushed through the electronic double doors, which slid apart, as though sensing the emergency, to emit them into the hospital.

To everyone's relief Leah had remained stable throughout the entirety of their journey to the hospital, although nobody had any idea exactly how severe her head injury had been, nor indeed what possible impact the results of her earlier cardiac arrest might have had. However, the tables had now suddenly turned on the young blonde Detective, as it was now Peter who was proving the main cause for concern. Although the paramedics had managed to gently pack the wound to his back and side, stemming the flow of blood significantly enough to stabilise him they had as yet been unable to stop the bleeding entirely, and Dan now watched helplessly as a group of awaiting nurses and doctors converged on first his brother, then his wife, before a middle aged nurse with some evident superiority over some of her younger and less experienced colleagues took over control of Dan's wheelchair from the orderly, who readily handed over his care to more experienced hands, his own job now done.

Rachel was waiting for them in he foyer, and amongst the frantic hustle and bustle going on around him Dan was still vaguely aware of Jack following on closely behind. He craned his neck to look behind him at with this as Doctor Green approached Jack, feeling the tender muscles of his neck pull tight with the action, and the almost instant painful impact this movement had on his bruised and by now aching back and ribs, the young doctor reaching out an arm to bar the officers way any further through the hospital corridors, ad placing a steady palm against his waist.

"I'm sorry." Dan heard him explain to the young Sergeant, in a sever but calm and reassuring tone, "you'll have to wait here I'm afraid!"

The brunette observed with this as Jack nodded in resigned understanding and acceptance, as the two's eyes met across the short although now gradually growing distance between them, as Dan was taken even further away from his friend and the emotional reassurance and support Jack had, up to now, been able to offer him in the aftermath of the days tragic and traumatic events.

"I'll be right here." Jack called after Dan in a bid to reassure his friend with this, by now beside himself with anxiety, and suppressed stress and worry for his friends, and Doctor Green directed a final meek smile in the young police officers direction, before he turned in the way of the waiting room and the young medic made his way back to the small, although rapidly growing group around the three new patients in the grip of the emergency. Dan suspected that Jack wouldn't be alone in his vidual for long however, Fitzgerald at least had made an emotional promise to follow the small group on to the hospital as soon as they'd secured the scene back at Dan and Leah's place, and Dan couldn't doubt the sincerity of her statement… although for now his thoughts returned to his wife and brother, whose circumstance and situation remained uncertain, although just how critical in Peter's case Dan was yet to find out as Rachel approached.

"What do we have?" She asked, quickly reviewing the chart handed to her by a young male orderly before turning urgently to engage the elder of the two paramedics, ho had treated Peter at the scene.

"Peter Baker…" The man replied. "Gunshot wound to the right side of the abdomen, and exit wound in the back. Found unconscious sat the scene on arrival, we've packed the wound, and started an IV of saline and administered morphine for the pain. BP is low and dropping, and he's tachycardic. Also Leah Patterson-Baker, head wound resulting from a blow to the skull, went into cardiac arrest at the scene but has now been stabilised, unconscious and unresponsive."

Rachel urgently reviewed Peter's chart first at this, taking note of his stats and vital signs as well as the more specific range of treatment already administered, before Dan observed as she gently prised away the Detective's dressings to take a look at the wound's beneath, and grimaced.

"Doctor Green," She turned to her colleague urgently in response to whatever it was she had seen beneath the frayed cotton bandage. "Get him down to the OR. I'll join you there as soon as I can!"

With this conclusion it fell to the younger of the paramedics to take his opportunity to access Dan's condition, and he launched straight into his explanation, as, to his brother's alarm, Peter was wheeled away. "Dan Baker, sustained some serious cuts and severe bruising, treated for shock at scene. BP is slightly elevated and pulse slightly rapid."

"Rachel," Dan immediately cut in with this however, his own fears finally overwhelming him, and translating into desperation, as he urgently tried to divert the young woman's attention away from his comparatively less severe injuries and back to those of the two people who meant the most to him out of anyone in the world. He faltered pleadingly "Please take care of Pete!"

"We're going to do everything that we can!" She nodded, trying to reassure her friend as she smiled gravely, before squeezing his shoulder sympathetically. "We've taken him through to surgery and so we should know more very soon. For now we need to focus on repairing the damage done by the bullet, but he's in good hands! The best thing you can do for now is to concentrate on yourself… I'll come and let you know as soon as Peter's out of surgery and we know any more!" Before turning to a nearby nurse. "Take him through to bay one." She instructed. "I want skull, back and rib x-rays to access for any possible broken bones, and we could do with dressing some of those cuts and bruises… give him IV fluids, and make sure that he gets plenty of rest and morphine for the pain. Can I get skull x–rays, a CAT scan and an MRI for Leah…" She continued, with this gently lifting both of the young woman's eyelids and shining a pocket torch into each pupil, checking for a reactive response, "and take her up to ICU!"

"Wait… wait… wait…" Dan faltered, grasping a young nurse's arm in protest. "Rachel… what about Leah ill she be alright?" He asked.

With this Rachel sighed. "I won't lie to you Dan…" She explained, tears beginning to well in her eyes as with this, that which she had been struggling to suppress since a soon as she'd found out who her new patients were, her voice broke with raw emotion. "You're my friend and I respect that… but, this isn't easy…" She faltered. "Both Peter and Leah are very ill… they've both been badly injured… we're doing everything we can. We should know more about Leah's prognoses when the results of her tests come back, until then all I can do is make assumptions and predictions and predictions based on my initial assessment of the situation, which, unsubstantiated, isn't going to be any good to anyone… if Peter comes through the surgery alright then his chances should be better, but I rally don't know… it's touch and go at the moment…" and with this Dan was abruptly whisked away before he had opportunity to respond, before he even had had a proper chance to absorb the shocking and devastating bomb-shell of this new information, leaving him empty an frighteningly hollow, almost numb, as the only significant thought on his mind at that moment became the uncertainty of the fates of Peter and Leah, and the agonising although inevitable replaying of the horrendous events which had led them now to this exact moment in time as he was led away.

He couldn't help but blame himself in someway for this. Perhaps if he'd been a little nicer to Peter he wouldn't have felt the need to take such drastic action, putting his own life on the line… as they led Dan in the opposite direction to both his wife and Peter to be treated for his own comparatively minor wounds, perhaps his brother too wouldn't now be fighting for his life.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

For hours Dan waited anxiously for any news of Peter and Leah. After being thourally examined, having undergone a battery and range of tests, which may well have been uncomfortable had it not been for his seriously distracted frame of mind, and mercifully found to have sustained no broken bones, but a number of severely bruised ribs, and a catalogue of deep cuts, grazes and major bruising, he'd received a number of stitches to close lesions deemed too deep to heal themselves, some still oozing blood, and had been thourally bandaged, from, what to Dan felt like, head to toe. He'd sustained a head wound a few centimetres across, resulting in a very minor concussion, and he'd been treated for obvious shock with IV fluids, having also received a cocktail of medications including an antibiotic to prevent infection setting in to some of the deeper wounds, an anti-inflammatory, a series of heavy painkillers, and, despite protest, a mild sedative.

Despite all of this however, and the series of strong medications now coursing through his system, it had still done nothing to curb his anxiety, nor to stop Dan enquiring of every nurse, doctor or other medical professional who passed in his general direction if they had any news of or knowledge of the conditions of his wife and brother. His heart leapt every few beats, feeling as though it was actually pumping blood from the outside of his chest cavity and about to burst through his chest wall, his stomach had managed to twist itself into one solid knot, and, as he wrung his sweaty palms together in anticipation, he felt as though he just wanted to scream, letting out one almighty, anguished, howl with this unbearable agitation.

When he was finally settled into a private room of his own Jack, to the young Sergeant's evident relief, was finally permitted to join him and keep him company for a while, where he informed Dan that the Captain had only recently paged him, revealing that he had himself accompanied the body of the young assailant to the hospital, where he had been officially pronounced dead upon arrival… unfortunately however making it almost impossible to establish a motive for the attack, although even to his own surprise, Dan didn't care. Already exhausted he didn't have energy enough left to focus on information regarding anybody other than Peter and Leah… he was closer to an emotional breaking point than he was prepared to admit. The events of the past few hours now washing over him like snapshots of a bad dream. Fitzgerald had even joined them for a short while, until she'd been called and summoned back to the station, although much of and most of those anxious few hours passed in an unbearable blur to Dan, and when Jack had finally left him alone for a moment in search of the nearest coffee machine and a much needed caffeine fix, Dan had taken his chance and made a break from the dark and claustrophobic confines of his small hospital room, pacing the hospital corridors anxiously for what felt like several further hours, but what had really only transpired as just a few minutes before Jack had finally found him, teary eyed, a raging anger born of frustration and fear now coursing through his veins, and convinced him to return to his room. Where he'd finally broken down with the young officers arms wrapped tightly around him.

Finally, almost a further hour later, there came a knock upon Dan's door however, and Rachel entered. Dan sat bolt upright in bed as his distracted mind acknowledged her presence. The first thing both men noticed about her was that she looked exhausted, but was smiling… slightly.

"Dan." She smiled non-commitently.

Dan immediately blanched with anxiety at the sight of the young doctor, and Jack instinctively moved a little closer to his side in support of his friend.

"Rachel…" The young brunette immediately urged her, tone full of concern. "How are they?" He asked.

Rachel also caught Jack's eye with this however as she proceeded to answer, and he could see by the dull, deeply pained although slightly satisfied gleam in her eye that although there could be no good news Peter and Leah at least continued to cling to life… there was fight left in them yet…

But for how much longer?

"Dan, Peter's in recovery now." She explained. "We're going to have him transferred up to the ICU once he's stable enough."

"Can I see him?" Dan asked.

"Not at the moment I'm afraid." She sighed gravely. "He's under close observation for now, so he's in good hands." She explained. "But you can once we've moved him." She promised, before continuing. "Dan, Peter sustained a shot wound to the upper left abdomen, which lacerated a kidney, resulting in massive internal bleeding. There was a lot of damage done, but we've managed to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding. We patched him up as best we can, and there is good news in that we've managed to repair most of the damage done without actually having to remove either of his kidney's, but there were some complications…"

Dan frowned with this, "Complications? What complications Rachel?" He demanded.

The young woman sighed, holding back the tears. "The build up of the blood in his abdominal cavity caused an extensive amount of pressure to be exerted on his diaphragm. As a result Peter hasn't been able to expand his ribcage in the way he should for normal breathing, and so his lungs were unable to inflate to full capacity. The pressure has caused the right side of his lung to collapse… we have however managed to re-inflate his lung for him and we've got him on a ventilator for now to help him breathe until he's strong enough to breathe for himself again."

"But he will be alright, won't he Rachel?" Dan asked. "I mean," He faltered, "You said that if he made it through surgery he's chances would be greater."

"He does have a chance now at least." Rachel nodded. "If he continues to grow in strength he's long term prognosis should be good. We don't yet know what, or if any permanent damage might have been done to his injured kidney, but the fact that he's made it this far shows that he hasn't given up yet, he's still fighting for us… and if I know Peter Dan he's going to put up one hell of a fight in the days yet to come."

Dan nodded, it was all he could do, his voice lost to him for a moment, before thinking of the second most important, most precious, and beautiful person in his life, no distinguishing between herself and Peter, he turned back to Rachel, "and Leah?" He asked.

"Leah's in a coma." The doctor explained. "I'm sorry Dan but we don't know when, or even if she may ever regain consciousness at this point in time. We still have some more tests to run, but I will keep you fully informed if there's any change, and as soon as you can see Peter I will let you know. Just try to get some rest for now." She advised.

There was nothing more to be said, nothing more Dan could say, he was still struggling to comprehend how any of this could be happening to them, allowing Rachel's words to sink in with minimal resistance to the facts. There was after all no escaping the position they were now in. No escaping the true, critical nature of Peter and Leah's condition. When before everything had been theoretical it was now suddenly all very very real.

And with this Dan was left, as Rachel conscientiously reviewed his chart and noted a further something down on it's already well worn pages, before departing, to cautiously allow himself to dwell on the tiny torch of hope of the horizon which Rachel's words had brought him, it's flames dwindling, and dancing in the breeze, threatening to burn out at any moment, and yet he hardly dared to believe the impossible… that Peter and Leah could possibly overcome such overwhelming odds against them.

Dan was still vaguely aware of Jack sitting in the chair beside him, looking over at him, expression full of concern, but in that moment he was already too busy trying to imagine his life without Peter and Leah, to really care… only to realise that he couldn't. His life would be empty, unbearable, without them; Leah, his soul mate, the most beautiful woman he'd ever known, the love of his life, and Peter, his brother, best mate… the thought of never seeing either of them again ripped his heart right open and tore him apart.

He preyed that they wouldn't give up, that they would carry on fighting and that they would come back to him… he preyed that they would survive because in that moment all he could do was prey… and because he couldn't go on living without them.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Dan kept vidual over hid brother and wife for the next few days, alternating between Peter and Leah's bedsides, and only returning to his own room of an evening when he was ushered kindly back to rest in his own bed by Rachel and the on duty nurses. He spent the following few days recovering from his own injuries, which after a much more thorough examination were found to consist of several cracked and bruised ribs, severe cuts and grazing, a slight concussion and severe shock… the latter of which could not be regarded as surprising under the circumstances.

Over the following few days he held his brother's hand urging him to listen to his voice and wake up, and stroked Leah's delicate cheek and forehead affectionately, brushing any stray strands of her dishevelled long brown hair away from her face and leaning over to kiss her lightly on the corner of her lips. Her cheek was always devoid of the characteristic heat he was so used to feeling radiating from her, and as he interlocked his own fingers with Peter's, his brother's tiny limbs were always cold like icicles. He'd heard somewhere that talking to someone in a coma and reminding them of familiar things could sometimes bring them out of it, and, although Leah looked quite peaceful, if only a little pale, he tried not to be disheartened by Peter's pale, and gravely ill complexion, his lips tinged with blue, the area underneath his eyes shadowed with deep grey… there could be no mistaking the seriousness of his situation.

They had suffered a slight scare and a setback in Peter's recovery the day after his surgery when it had appeared that his injured kidney hadn't been functioning one hundred percent, but Rachel had assured Dan that this was to be expected. The good news was that the kidney had continued to work, despite the severity of his wounds, albeit at a reduced capacity. She had assured Dan that they had Peter under close observation, and Rachel had prescribed some strong medication at the first sign of their being a problem.

For a few hours a day little VJ, I now having been determined that he'd been released completely unharmed from his ordeal was allowed to visit, where he sat with Dan at his mother's bedside. Although the small child didn't quite understand what was going on, and had been initially rather alarmed upon his first visit, he'd been told enough to know that if he spoke to his mother it might make her feel better, and so Dan had encouraged the infant to talk in the hope that this might encourage some even small sign of life from her… but so far there'd been nothing, she'd remained still and unmoving. Dan himself, still wracked with quilt, begged Peter to wake up. Despite the pain of it all, he kept him well informed of Leah's condition, which, despite her lack of obvious improvement he'd been assured was stable, and told him how much he loved him, hoping that his words weren't wasted. If these were going to be his brother's last days he wouldn't let him die under the black cloud of what had transpired between them a week earlier.

However he couldn't imagine life after loosing either of them if Peter and Leah were to die… and so he begged them both to carry on fighting.

"I love you sweetheart." He'd whisper to her when the two of them were alone. "Please, it can't end like this. You've made me the happiest husband alive, to be married to you, beautiful you, perfect in every way. I've never taken how lucky I am for granted, you've made the past few years together wonderful. Please, there's only one more thing you can do for me now which would make me happier than you've ever made me before. Just come back to me, please!"

He'd watched the daily dressing and re-dressing of Peter's wounds, the abhorrent stitches where the gunshot injury had been and the ugly surgical scar, still inflamed and angry beneath it's layers of bandages, but after almost a week his condition remained the same, and there had still been no improvement.

Then on the seventh day Dan, having spent the morning at Leah's bedside, was spending the afternoon at his brother's side, having, as he had done everyday, decided to divide the day up between them. As he took his place beside his blonde haired brother he stroked the back of his hand tenderly, his skin was still ice cold, but as he looked into his face he was relieved to see a slight return of colour to his cheeks, a vague flush of pink breaking out against the pallor of his general complexion. Dan smiled, a hard lump of renewed hope beginning to form in his throat. Although only small, this was the first sign of improvement he'd seen in Peter.

"Hey mate." He smiled, as he listened to the constant, rhythmic drone of the heart monitor, beating out the pattern of his brother's each laboured breath, helped along no doubt by the presence of the ventilator. "It's me again, Dan. Keep hanging in there Peter."

He'd been saying the same thing now, or words to a similar affect for the past week, and although he was sure that if his brother really could hear every word he'd being saying he'd be sick of the sound of him by now, he couldn't bring himself to stop saying it. Dan reached down and kissed the blonde haired Detective's slightly clammy forehead, slightly surprised, as the skin, warm and sticky met with his lips, when for the past week he'd become so accustomed to it's cold, dry feeling against his own warm skin.

Something was going to be very different about this day, he could already sense it. As he listened, even the tempo of Peter's heart rate seemed slightly faster… perhaps even slightly stronger, than it had done throughout the past week. Although whether for good or for bad, Dan wasn't prepared to stake a claim right now. His brother was still very sick, he realised that, as in the case of Leah nobody could provide any definitive answers. Nobody, not even the doctors, could determine what level of brain damage Leah might have sustained from her injury, if any, nor indeed if Peter would require further surgery to repair any, as yet unknown, damage to his kidney. Although initial signs were good nobody could be sure if the damaged organ would even survive, and all they could do way prey.

After a few minutes spent alone with his brother Dan hear footsteps enter from behind him and turned to see Rachel standing in the doorway to Peter's room. She looked worn, and tired, as though the worry and strain of the situation was beginning to take its toll on her to, she was after all not just a doctor, but a family friend, and Dan hadn't forgotten that. Although, as their eyes met across the room she smiled as she entered.

"Hey Dan. How you feeling?" She asked.

"Still a little sore." He nodded in response. "But I'm getting there. How's he doing?" He asked, indicating Peter. Rachel looked up as Dan got to his feet as she made her way around the opposite side of her patient's bed.

"Sit Dan, you should be resting." She advised the young man, surveying Peter's chart as she went, before adjusting his drip, checking the various assortment of equipment surrounding him, before reaching over his still lifeless form to place a stethoscope to his chest. Clearly satisfied by what she heard, proceeding to role the bed sheets back, and removing Peter's dressings to check on the condition of his wounds, as Dan slowly and stiffly resumed his seat beside his brother's bed.

"Well," She smiled. "There's no sign of infection… his heart rate's strong… pulse is still a little thready and blood pressure is a little lower than ideal… but that's to be expected," She reassured in response to Dan's anxious expression. "Kidney function is slightly improved… there's been no more evidence of internal bleeding…" She shone a small pocket torch in Peter's eyes and smiled, "and pupils are fast reactive and responsive to stimuli… yes, I'd say he's doing a little better." Rachel grinned.

"He looks a little better today." Dan remarked hopefully, but his heart sank as with this Rachel's smile immediately faded and she shook her head.

"Dan, don't get your hopes up too soon." She advised gravely. "Yes, he looks a little better because he's doing a little better today." She explained. "But it's still critical… he's still very sick. At the moment things could go either way, until he wakes up we don't know if this could be the calm before the storm, he may be doing better today, but if complications arise he could still suffer a relapse tomorrow. We're fairly confident that we made the right decision to try to salvage the injured kidney… it certainly seems to have coped fairly well up until now… but we can't be sure that further repair work won't be required to get it back up to full function. Only time will tell. I'm sorry but it's still very early days."

"But you said he's doing a little better…" Dan persisted… Rachel only looked at him.

"I'm sorry Dan." She sighed, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, before withdrawing it quickly as though realising that to leave it there for too long would be to destroy all hope Dan had left. "Listen, I've got other patients to see, I'll be back to check on him later." She reassured him, and with that he heard the click her shoes upon the clear tile floor as she left the room, and the silence of before, disrupted only by the intermittent mechanical drone of the hospital monitoring equipment, resumed.

Dan sat in this silence, staring helplessly at his brother's pale form, one freezing hand held affectionately within his, for the next few minutes, before he finally leant over helplessly, wiping the tears, which he'd failed to realise up until now had began pool in his eyes, from his already rather bloodshot and tired eyes as he wrapped his own much warmer hand even tighter around Peter's, pulling it closer towards his body.

With this Dan leaned in even loser as he spoke his heartfelt words close to Peter's ear.

"Come on Pete mate." He pleaded. "If you can hear anything I've been saying to you for the past week, please, hear this. You've got to prove her wrong Pete! I don't know what I'd do without you! I've said this before, but I'm going to say it again, and every damn day until you listen to me! You can't give up! Hang in there! You've got to fight this! Find your way back to me! Please Peter, just wake up!"

Before he tucked his brother's blankets even tighter around his freezing frame, where Rachel had left them slightly crumpled at his side, tucking him in, easing his hands underneath the thin starched sheets, being careful not to interfere with the IV line, and sitting back for an afternoon's vidual, with Rachel's words now firmly imprinted on his mind, refusing to believe what he knew deep down to be true… that if complications in Peter's condition were to develop, the Detective may never wake up again.

It was a far too painful prospect to bare.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

It must have been a couple of hours later when Dan woke up to the sound of Peter coughing, and choking on the ventilator, having fallen asleep. Dan's heart leapt, as he jumped to his feet in alarm, sending the chair he'd been sitting on, head slumped forwards, partially resting against the edge of the bed, skidding across the floor in the process. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, one hand still clutching that of his brother's, hours spent with Peter's icy fingers warming within Dan's loving grasp. The heart monitor beside the young Detective's bed was going berserk, omitting a series of high pitched wining sounds as Peter evidently struggled to breathe, and Dan observed the blonde's complexion, even more pale and grey than a couple of hours previous, if he'd believed it possible. Although, despite the paler, he couldn't deny the colour to his brother's cheeks and forehead, covered in a thin film of sweat, significantly brighter than before, offering the brunette renewed hope.

However, Dan noticed that it's prominent's was fading by the moment as the blonde haired Detective was deprived of oxygen. He reached over to touch his brother's face, cupping Peter's cheek in his palm, and gently shaking his shoulder.

"Peter?" He called out to him in alarm, before pressing the alarm button above his brother's bed to summon the nearby nurses and doctors. "Peter can you hear me? Come on mate, hang on in there!" Before running to the bedroom door and crying out for help.

"Help, please! Help me! I need some assistance in here!"

It didn't take long for the nearby medics to respond to the alarm call, summoning their assistance. As a flurry of nurses ran past him, Dan observed Doctor Green, as he turned a nearby corner, and, hearing the young man's desperate pleas ran towards him.

"What happened?" He asked, as he entered the room in front of Dan, and observed Peter, hearing the alarming high pitched wail being omitted from the various assortment of machines and medical equipment at the Detective's side, the specialist apparatus adopted to monitor the Detective's condition now being pushed to their limits, before removing the stethoscope from around his neck, and throwing Peter's starched sheets away from his convulsing form, in order to carry out a more thorough examination.

As he did so Dan observed that it wasn't just his brother's face that was covered in a thin film of sweat, his entire body was soaked with perspiration, and the sheets, which until recently had been cloaking the young Detective's unconscious form, were drenched with bodily fluids.

"I don't know!" Dan explained, doing his best to keep calm whilst struggling to keep his increasing state of helpless anxiety at bay. "I must have fallen asleep, and when I woke up I found him already like this… he was coughing and choking!"

"He's popped some of his stitches to!" Doctor Green sighed as he observed the small area of growing crimson blood staining Peter's bandages, before, with this the young medic turned to one of the near by nurses. "Fetch Doctor Armstrong for me will you?" He asked, and with a quick nod she hurried from the room.

Dan followed her departure from the room with his gaze before turning his attentions back to Peter, looking on for what felt like him to be an eternity, unable to do anything to help his brother except to stand back and allow the doctor's and nurses to do their jobs, hoping for the best… until he could take it no longer.

"Could somebody please tell me what's going on?" Dan asked, his frustration growing as his presence in the room continued to be ignored by the bustling medical personal, all of whom were intent on stabilising Peter's condition, but none of whom had yet offered to supply him with an explanation to his brother's deteriorating medical condition.

"I'm sorry Dan." Doctor Green turned to him with this, expression grave as he observed the desperate expression on the young brunette's face, eyes deep and face contorted with concern and intense worry. "But perhaps it would be better if you wait outside!"

"No!" Dan suddenly snapped however, evidently taking the young doctor aback with his uncharacteristic outburst. Although nobody could say that they could blame him under the situation… a situation which none of them could say they were finding easy, and nobody would envy him for. "I'm staying with Peter!"

"In that case," Doctor Green sighed, tone significantly softer in an attempt to comfort and pacify his patient's brother, although still somewhat harsh and with an unwavering firmness under the seriousness of the situation. "I understand your fears and frustrations Dan, but it's better for everyone if you just let us treat your brother and stay out of our way!"

At that moment Rachel rushed in however, and Dan breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate Doctor Green's efforts on his brother's behalf, but Rachel knew Peter better, from old, she was a family friend, highly regarded, well respected by all of them, and Dan couldn't help but accept his gut instinct that if anybody knew how to treat Peter, Rachel could.

"Oh, Rachel." He exclaimed as the young woman approached. "You've got to do something to help Pete, please!"

"We're going to do all we can Dan!" She assured him, before turning to another young nurse nearby and indicating the brunette. "Take care of him." She instructed, as the pretty, petite young woman nodded, smiling reassuringly in Dan's direction, before wrapping a surprisingly strong if not slender arm around him, and guiding him to a nearby chair as Rachel turned to Doctor Green. The young nurse realised after hearing Dan's previous confrontation with the slightly older male doctor that it was useless to ask him to leave his brother's side.

"What do we have?" Rachel asked.

"Respiratory distress… stats are falling…" Doctor Green responded.

With this Rachel too removed the stethoscope from around her own neck, placing it to Peter's chest, before checking his pulse, frowning. After a moment she voiced her observations, failing to conceal her evident confusion. "But his pulse is strong… heart rate is a little irregular, but this makes no sense…," She sighed, "Unless…" Realisation seemed to suddenly dawn on her.

She removed a small penlight from the top breast pocket of her lab coat, peeling back the lids of Peter's closed eyes one at a time and watching as the iris's of both pupils contracted in response to the sudden bright light of the torch, before dilating once more, and coming to focus upon her.

"Peter," She asked, placing her soft palm against his as she spoke with this, his skin clammy with sticky perspiration, "it's Rachel, if you can hear me squeeze my hand." She instructed, and was somewhat surprised as with this she watched as Peter slowly started to curl his fingers inwards, around hers, to form a slight fist… it was barely a touch, weak, and could hardly be described as a squeeze, but it was enough for Rachel. A huge smile immediately spread across her beautiful face… a smile of relief.

"Rachel…" Dan asked from his position a little way behind the small group still gathered around his brother. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

"He's trying to breath by himself." She explained.

"And what does that mean?" Dan persisted with his interrogation, adamant to get as much out of the young Doctor now, whilst he was getting some answers… whilst he still had the chance. "Is that bad?"

"No… no…" She smiled. "I think he's waking up!"

"What?" Dan exclaimed, as with this he leapt to his feet, legs suddenly beginning to feel like jelly with the shock of the young doctor's sudden and unexpected revelation, as, as soon as he set his feet down on the ground he felt as though his legs were about to give way beneath him, quickly managing to right himself however, and was at his brother's side immediately. "Peter! Pete mate, can you hear me?"

But the only response he received from the young man in the bed before him were a series of choking moans and a long groan, proceeded by a muffled, low, gurgling sound, almost like a long sigh. Dan looked to Rachel with concern at this.

"We need to get this breathing tube out…" Rachel ordered Doctor Green urgently. "If he continues to fight against it he could choke himself."

"Wouldn't it be better to sedate him? Keep him on the ventilator a while longer?" The other male doctor asked, unconvinced by this however, but Rachel shook her head.

"No!" She responded adamantly. "He's been unconscious for a week… if he's fighting… if he's trying to breathe by himself I think we should let him… at least let him try…" before turning back to Peter, as with this Doctor Green quickly nodded his agreement, having evidently weighed up both the pro's and risks of Rachel's decision within a split second, and come to the same conclusion. "Peter you're in hospital." She explained. "You've been on a ventilator, and there's a breathing tube in your throat so don't try and fight against it, we're going to remove it soon, but just try to relax."

"Hey Pete…" Dan himself choked out, forcing the words past the lump beginning to form in his throat, as tears of relief began to gather in his eyes at this, "Not long now." He promised, as he turned to watch Doctor Green switch off the ventilator at the side of the young blonde Detective's bed, and Rachel untied the white binding, keeping the respirator in place before taking hold of the tube.

"Right Peter one big cough for me please!" Rachel instructed, and as Peter coughed out, a strained, raspy breath, Rachel quickly pulled the tube from his throat.

It took Peter a moment to catch his breath, he lay on the bed, exhausted, taking in short, shallow breaths by himself to start with, but after a moment his colour gradually started to return, and Rachel smiled as Dan finally took a seat beside his brother's side, now significantly more relaxed, taking his hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

"Hey mate, welcome back!" He sighed.

"How are you feeling?" Rachel asked.

"Throat… sore…" Peter rasped, opening his eyes slowly for the first time in days, and recoiling slightly as it took him a while to readjust to the light again.

Rachel nodded. "It's likely to be quite sore for some time yet Peter I'm afraid." She explained sympathetically. "You've been on the respirator for a week, but I'll get you something for the pain as soon as we've carried out a more thorough examination of your condition."

"Stats are starting to rise." Doctor Green reported as he observed Peter's condition beginning to improve, before turning to Rachel. "We really need to see about cleaning up his torn stitches."

She nodded.

"What… happened?" Peter asked Dan eventually.

"You've been in surgery." Dan explained. "You've popped some of your stitches so try not to move too much for a while ok? You've been shot… do you remember?"

Peter flinched suddenly as he felt the sting of the needle as Doctor Green worked on restitching the wound in his abdomen, before he frowned, the deep creases in his forehead strained, as though he was having to work very hard in order to try and recall the events from over a week ago, when his expression was suddenly flooded with dawning realisation, and memories which Dan realised must be painful for him to have to recall. He nodded, slowly, neck evidently stiff after a week of being set in one position. "I… remember…" He responded.

"You've been out of it for a week." Dan explained. "It was touch and go for a while…"

"How's… Leah…?" Peter suddenly asked weakly however, catching Dan off guard. It took his brother a while to reply.

"She's… holding her own…" He nodded in response at last however, his eyes starting to well with suppressed emotion. "You know Leah… she's a fighter, just like you… she'll come through…" He continued, but Peter wasn't given chance to respond.

"Peter," Rachel suddenly cut in with this. "Listen, I know this is probably a lot for you to take in at the moment but you should know… there were some complications as a result of the location of the gunshot wound you sustained. I'm afraid that the bullet punctured a kidney… we've managed to repair a lot of the damage caused… and we stopped the bleeding, but I'm going to order you in some tests when you feel more up to it… this is just a warning that you're going to have to take it especially easy for the next few weeks… at least until we know more."

Peter nodded.

"For now," She continued. "I think we should leave you to get some rest. Let me know if you start to feel any pain." But Peter's eyes were already beginning to close, exhaustion beginning to take over.

"I'd like to stay with Peter for a while if that's alright." Dan explained, as Rachel turned her concerned gaze to him, searchingly. He too was now beginning to feel the strain which the dramatic turn of events had started to take on his own battered and bruised body, his already increasingly heavy eyelids letting him know that it wouldn't be long before he too would be joining his brother in the blissful haze of sleep.

But until then he couldn't quite bring himself to let go of his brother's, now substantially warmer hand, yet. He'd sleep at his bedside if he had to, but was determined to be there for Peter if he woke up again confident and content in the knowledge that he would now wake up. But Rachel wasn't having any of it.

"You need your rest to Dan." She ordered. "I'm sorry… besides, I think I'm going to order Peter a sedative." She explained. "Just to help make him a little more comfortable… he shouldn't wake up for at least another few hours."

And so Dan too slept a little more soundly than he had done so for the past week that afternoon, half the emotional load lifted from his shoulders, the days giant leap towards a positive outcome giving him licence to dream of a time when all three of them; himself, Peter, and Leah, could take their first small steps towards overcoming this terrible recent trauma together, and set them all back on the path towards a full recovery.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Over the following few days Peter continued to rest, too exhausted to do very much apart from sleep the days away, but Rachel had reassured a concerned Dan that this was at least only his bodies natural way of inducing recovery, and although his progress had initially appeared slow, slow progress was better than no improvement at all. During this time Dan spent increasing amounts of time at his brother's bedside, and Peter also received many concerned visitors, Jack and Fitzgerald amongst them, who kept him occupied throughout the days when boredom threatened to take its inevitable hold, as day by day their conversations became increasingly slightly longer, as Peter started to grow in strength. Although it was determined that the Detective would require physiotherapy in order to regain full strength again. Once he was strong enough to get out of bed, and start taking short walks around the hospital, he started staying at Leah's side throughout the day in order to give Dan a break, and chance to rest, as it had transpired that he'd been rather neglecting his own needs recently.

During these moments he stroked her delicate, slender arm, and held her hand, stroking the stray strands of hair away from her dormant face as Dan had done so before him. He admired her delicate features, cheek bones and jaw line perfectly and elegantly chiselled, lips subtle, and cheeks flushed rosy pink… she really was beautiful. Peter may have been able to deny his feelings to the rest of the community, maybe even to Dan and Leah, but in the privacy of his sister-in-laws quiet hospital room he couldn't deny it to himself… he still harboured great affection for her, perhaps he was still even in love with her. Bu he'd decided a long time ago that he'd rather have Dan and Leah as friends than not at all.

It was during one such vidual at his sister-in-laws bedside a few days later that Peter sat at Leah's side, he'd still been in quite a bit of pain and discomfort himself the whole day, but hadn't mentioned it. Now, in the midst of his own concealed anguish he spoke to her, and begged her to carry on fighting. Dan hadn't given up on Peter, not for one second in the midst of his comatosed state, he'd always maintained faith in the belief that Peter would regain consciousness, and now Peter was determined not to give up on Leah. He pleaded with her to wake up, hoping against all odds that she could hear him, and would furthermore be spurred on in her recovery by his words and somehow find her way back to them.

"Leah, it's me," He spoke softly to her as he held her slightly smaller more effeminate hand in his own, smoothing the back of her delicate fingers softly. "Listen, you've got to wake up sweetheart. We need you, I need you, Dan and little VJ need you. I know things haven't always been easy… particularly between us… and we haven't always had the easiest of rides… things have been rather bumpy for us at times. But we've always come through them before. You've made Dan the happiest I've ever seen him, I've seen the way he looks when he's with you, his face lights up. He's a different man, he's younger, he's brighter, he's strong… you've done that for him Lean… I know he can defeat anything that comes his way now, because he has you by his side to guide him through. I need you to help me look after him Leah… I can't do it by myself. Please Leah, wake up…" Before he leant his head down on the pillow beside her ear, "wake up…" He whispered, his light breath caressing her icy earlobe. "You've got to wake up…"

At that moment he heard footsteps enter the room approaching from behind and turned suddenly to see Dan standing a few feet behind him in the doorway. He still looked tired, and drawn, but Peter couldn't deny that he looked substantially healthier and more well rested now than he had done the last time he'd seen him a few hours before. The dark circles under his brother's eyes, previously black, were now a much lighter grey tone, and his pale skin now at least had vague shading of light pink, highlighting his cheeks, forehead, and jaw line. They both smiled meekly in each other's direction as their gaze met across the room.

"Any improvement?" Dan enquired hopefully as he approached, placing his warm palm on Peter's shoulder reassuringly as he stopped at his side looking down at Leah lying motionless in the bed before them… she looked so peaceful… so perfect.

The young Detective shook his head gravely in response to this. "No." He sighed, before turning his head and neck stiffly to glance up at Dan.

"She'll find her way back to us." Her husband sighed, quietly confident. "Give her time… she's a fighter. She'll come through."

Peter smiled meekly.

"You look better." The blonde observed.

"And you look exhausted." The young brunette responded with a concerned frown, for the first time taking in the full detail of his brother's gravely ill and deeply taxed appearance. Dan sighed… it was clear that Peter had been over-pushing himself, evidently in his concern for Leah.

"It's late, why don't you go and get some rest?" He suggested

"I want to sit with her a little longer." Peter explained.

"I'll sit with her for a while." Dan offered, turning to smile affectionately down at his young wife as he spoke. "Besides I could do with the company… you on the other hand have only been out of bed for a few days… you've just had major surgery Peter… you need to rest… don't go pushing yourself too hard before you're ready… "

"I'm alright…" Peter lied, looking up into his brother's tired eyes as he did so. In truth he was a far cry from the rapid rate of recovery he was doing his best to create and maintain the illusion of… he was weak, and tired, and still in too much pain, he realised that. He could see the expression of anxiety on his brother's face however, and he didn't want to worry him any further.

"Peter, have you looked at yourself recently?" Dan frowned. "You're not alright… far from it…"

His words were suddenly cut short however, as Peter, gripping his side, suddenly doubled over in his distress, a muffled groan escaping him, as his silent sufferance immediately became too intense for him to ignore or hide any longer. His discomfort reaching unbearable limits as sharp, throbbing, pain proceeded by a dull ache immediately shot through his injured side. His lower back and abdomen burned internally with a fire so intense as though somebody had taken a match to his internal organs, inflaming the flesh from the inside out… before as quickly and as suddenly as the pain had gripped him, it had gone… leaving him breathless, and weak.

"Hey Pete, mate, are you ok?" Dan frowned, bending down beside his brother's doubled up frame immediately with concern, his previously, relatively relaxed, and quietly confident frame of mind, regarding his wife's condition, immediately melting into one of renewed anxiety.

"Yeah, yeah, I just feel a little sick that's all." Peter explained, doing his best to brush off his brother's concern despite his slight breathlessness, but Dan, already having noticed Peter's expression, contorted with silent pain, complexion pale and grey, was not convinced.

"I'm going to fetch a nurse." He immediately insisted, observing the thin film of sweat beginning to form on his brother's brow, and trickling down his face. Without even waiting for further explanation from the young Detective, he made for the hospital room door.

Peter turned adamantly to protest with this, the sudden sharp movement only bringing on another wave of intense pain, and nausea however, as he observed as Dan stood hailing the medical personal in the adjoining corridor… he sighed, and gritted his teeth, grinding them tightly together in a bid to relieve some of the discomfort, which was now however, thankfully steadily subsiding.

"Hey, can I get someone in here?" He called urgently, catching the attention of a dainty young nurse, a little too rounded at the hips for a figure so slender and perfectly formed as hers, although as she hastily entered the room behind Dan, it became clear that this was in fact the result of heavy pregnancy, and Peter observed that she actually did indeed have a unique beauty.

She was a pretty young woman, with a naturally slender frame, and long delicate legs which were only accentuated by the black low heeled shoes she was currently wearing. Her cheeks were naturally rosy with youth, and Peter estimated that she was probably in her mid-twenties, although she could have easily been placed much younger than that, and her silky locks of long black hair had, for now, been tied back in a lose bun at the top of her head, although he could easily imagine when, once evening approached and her hectic hospital shift came to and end, she might allow her velvet hair to hang loose, draped over her slight and delicate shoulders, only adding to her earthy yet sophisticated appearance.

"Nurse, can you do something for him?" Dan asked, indicating Peter, still sitting at Leah's bedside, as he spoke with this. "He says he feels sick."

The young nurse took one long look at the young Detective, a reassuring expression set across her face. Taking in his pale complexion, the dark, black shading under his eyes, the perspiration now drying upon his brow, his unnaturally flushed cheeks, and she made her way over.

"Whose your consulting physician?" She asked, bending down to check Peter's vital signs before, evidently observing something which alarmed her slightly, she turned back to Dan.

"Ummm… Doctor Armstrong, and Doctor Green…" Dan faltered. "Look can you do something for him?" He pressed. "He's had major surgery."

"I'll just get a Doctor to take a look at him first," She explained. "And then we should be able to give him something to settle his stomach."

"Hey, doctor?" Dan exclaimed in alarm, "What do you mean a doctor?" Is he alright?"

"It's just procedure sir." She reassured him with this, already making for the door, doing her best to conceal the urgency to her step… although Dan had already noticed. "Just wait here and I'll go and get a wheelchair," she instructed. "I'll be back in a moment."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

******Chapter 19 is finally up guys! Only 2 more chapters to go now! Thank you for being so patient with me!**

The next day Peter awoke rather groggily, his abdomen still throbbed painfully, and the left side of his back ached. As he opened his eyes, it was to see Dan leaning over him smiling however, and he immediately sensed that something had changed.

"Hey mate." Dan grinned as he made eye contact with his brother. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." The Detective sighed, grimacing and gripping his back and abdomen as he struggled to sit up., suggesting to Dan otherwise. "Well…" He confessed as he observed his brother's expression and raised eyebrows which were immediately directed at him in concern with this. "I've felt better."

Dan nodded. "Rachel wants to take another look at you later." He explained. "She's concerned that the first lot of surgery wasn't as successful as they first thought… they might have to run some more tests."

Peter sighed. "I know I'm lucky to be alive." He nodded. "I know that it's going to take time before I'm back to full fitness again… I know I'm not going to get better overnight, I can't be ungrateful. But at the same time I can't help but feel as though I'm in for a long hard struggle ahead."

"But you'll get there." Dan reassured him, taking Peter firmly by the hand, and squeezing his brother's palm warmly. "I have faith in you mate, and we're all here for you! I'll never forget what you did for us in there." He sighed.

"Hey." Peter smiled, patting the back of his brother's pale palm affectionately as he released his grip of his hand. "What else are brother's for?"

"Even so…" Dan faltered. "I thought I'd lost you… thank you for saving out lives."

"What are you so happy about anyway?" The young detective quickly changed the subject, and Dan realised that the subject of his recovery must still be a very raw subject for his brother. He smiled good humouredly.

"Is it that obvious?" He asked. "It seems like I can't keep anything from you Pete… even if I'd wanted to." He chuckled.

"You should be so lucky." Peter returned the smile. "You're an open book Dan, always have been ever since we were kids… it was always obvious when you weren't telling the truth… always obvious when you had done something wrong. You've never been able to keep a secret…"

The brunette laughed, stroking the back of his brother's hand affectionately where he still held it within his own clammy palm. "Well this should put a smile back on your face anyway." He faltered, doing his best to keep Peter in as much suspense as possible. "Leah regained consciousness in the night."

"Oh, that's brilliant Dan!" Peter exclaimed, the relief immediately creeping into his expression and relaxing his taught features slightly. "How is she?"

"Well she was rather groggy for a while." Dan explained. "But Rachel said that was to be expected. She's lucid enough now though, and we exchanged a few words this morning. It's still to early to tell whether there may be any permanent damage, but at least she's awake now and talking, and so Rachel said that there's unlikely to be any lasting brain damage."

"Is she up to visitors?" Peter asked.

His brother smiled, and nodded. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you Pete." He explained. "She's been asking about you… but only after you've let Rachel take a look at you first, you need to rest."

"Oh, I'm bored with rest." Peter sighed, slamming his two clenched fists against the mattress at his side in his frustration. "I hate having to lie here day after day… I hate this bed… I hate this room…"

"Just take it easy Pete mate." Dan soothed, putting a gentle hand against Peter's shoulder in an attempt to calm his brother, as he reached over to press the alarm above Peter's bed.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked.

"Informing the on duty nurses that you're awake." Dan explained. "Rachel asked to be informed as soon as you woke up."

"Dan…" Peter sighed, faltering slightly at this, as a young and pretty burse with long flowing blonde hair and startlingly blue eyes suddenly came hurrying into the room with the sound of the alarm, before rushing off to find Rachel under Dan's instruction with the news that Peter was now awake, and the young detective finally started to relax.

Dan looked down at his brother.

"I'm sorry about the other night." Peter apologised, but Dan simply shook his head, holding one calming hand up to stifle his brother's words at this.

"We both said things we regret." He explained. "Myself included, there's no need to apologise."

"Evens so I don't know what I'd have done if I'd lost you both." Peter continued along this track of thought despite Dan's protests, before, gripping his abdomen and back with a sudden grimace of pain he added, "Dan, I'm scared…"

"Why?" His brother frowned. "You're safe now, you're in good hands, Leah's awake and you're both making positive progress… Pete you've got to believe that you're going to make a full recovery."

"It hurts so much!" Peter finally admitted however and Dan immediately leant in to embrace his frightened brother reassuringly as the tears started to flow, he'd rarely ever seen Peter cry before. Feeling the gentle convulsions of the young Detective's chest against his torso, he rubbed his brother's back soothingly.

"It's alright, Rachel will be in to see you soon." He muttered in a hushed tone in the blonde haired Detective's ear, realising for the first time just how much pain Peter must be in, but also that his brother's emotional outburst must be out of some degree of sheer relief that Leah was finally awake, and that their tense and lonely vidual of the last few days finally seemed to have paid off.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

******Only one more chapter to go after this, so enjoy! The next chapter is already typed up and completed, but is on another computer which needs to go in to be mended, so not sure when it'll be published, as soon as I get my other computer back and can upload the file!**

A few hours later and Peter had finally managed to get away from his room and the doctors for long enough to spend some time at Leah's bedside. Dan had retreated back to his own room upon Peter's insistence that his younger brother should get some rest, and he'd assured him that he'd keep an eye on Leah for the next few hours.

She hadn't stirred from her deep sleep since he'd taken route by her side, but he'd made himself comfortable in the seat beside her, settling himself into a position whereby the seat didn't dig uncomfortably into his back, and the armrest didn't cut painfully into his abdomen, and the angry surgical scar.

He took her limp, only slightly warm hand in his, and stroked her cold fingers affectionately talking soothingly to her. He knew now however that there was no longer any reason to worry, she was just asleep, and he was finally able to relax in her silent company.

Finally, after what felt like about half an hour of waiting Leah began to stir, and Peter wondered whether to stay or to quickly withdraw from the room before she woke up. He wanted so much to talk to her, to apologise, and the few minutes he'd spent alone with her had brought him contentment, closure, even managed to reassure him slightly, but he was afraid that she'd be angry with him, and he couldn't face another battle at the moment.

As he got stiffly to his feet however, grimacing slightly and leaning into his drip for support as he rubbed his left side he heard a muffled groan, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Peter?" She asked, as his figure became clearer and she was able to make more sense of what she was seeing.

"He," He smiled as he turned back uncertainly to face her. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." She rasped. "Got a bit of a headache." She explained, indicating her bandaged cranium shakily. "but Rachel says that's to be expected… were you going somewhere?" She frowned, suddenly noticing Peter's position.

The Detective shook his head. "Urm… no…" He faltered. "I was just.. urgh… stretching my legs. I've been sitting for the last half an hour."

"Why didn't you wake me then?" Leah suddenly exclaimed glancing at the bedside chair as she struggled to sit up in bed with this, but Peter was quick to reassure her.

"You looked so peaceful." He smiled. "I didn't want to disturb you. As they keep on trying to tell me… I believe rest is the best medicine… and…" He faltered, voice quaking slightly, before he checked himself, not too sure whether or not to say what he'd been about to.

"And what?" Leah pressed him however.

"I was afraid you'd be angry with me." He sighed finally in response to her questioning stare.

"Peter, but why?" She frowned, reaching over to grab his hand as she squeezed his warm palm affectionately, and gently guided him back into the seat beside her.

"I let you down." He shook his head, rubbing his weary eyes, and rubbed a hand over his flushed cheeks.

"No!" Leah exclaimed vehemently with this. "Dan told me everything that happened Peter… you saved our lives! How are you feeling by the way?" She enquired, turning her gaze to look at him more critically, taking in his pale, although flushed complexion, his tired expression, and the drip feeding a steady flow of saline and painkilling medication into his arm. "Dan said you'd had major surgery."

"Oh, I'm alright." Peter sighed.

"But Peter, your kidneys!" Leah gasped, alarmed by how calmly her brother-in-law appeared to be taking the state of his health, and the potential serious complications associated with his recovery.

"I'm learning to take it one day at a time." He nodded, smiling.

"Dan's told me a little of what happened." Leah explained. "How you were the one who came In to save us after the gun went off, how the assailant shot you before you were able to arm yourself… ho, afterwards, he went for the gun setting it off and killing the young man. He's spared me some of the details, I think he's a little concerned that I'm not yet quite ready to hear them at the moment, and perhaps he's right, but I'm still having trouble filling in some of the blanks. It frightens me, every time I think about what went on in there, it terrifies me to think that that could have been any one of us."

"To be honest I don't think there's very much more to add." Peter shook his head. "And if I were you I'd try not to dwell for too long or too hard upon that subject, there was nothing you could have done."

Silence elapsed between them both for a while after this, as she too realised that this though must have been plaguing Peter's thoughts also, intruding upon his nightmares and being the reason behind many restless and sleepless nights. Although she didn't allow the silence to impede the moment for long.

"Peter… about the other night." She faltered. "I'm sorry about what was said, we never meant to upset you. we certainly never meant to drive you away from us, or make you feel as though you had to leave town."

"But I came back." Peter smiled. "As soon as I heard what had happened I came straight back."

"And, as I've already said, you saved or lives Peter." Leah spoke softly, in a soothing effeminate tone, as she stroked the back of his hand affectionately. As she did so she looked up at him with over in her eyes, and Peter realised that events of a few nights ago were now just water under the bridge between them.

"And I'd do it again." He assured her.

Leah shook her head. "I hope you never have to." She muttered. "We could have lost you Peter."

"I thought I'd lost you." The blonde haired detective explained, with tears in his yes, to this. "And if I had my life wouldn't be worth living." He suddenly grimaced, as the involuntary upheavals of his diaphragm pulled on the tens of tiny sutures and staples which had been used to close the large wound along the entire length of his abdomen, and she immediately leaned stiffly forwards to pull him into a reassuring embrace. "I don't know what I'd do without the two of you." He choked into her shoulder as she patted his back comfortingly.

"You don't have to be alone throughout any of this." Leah assured him. "We're going to get through this together Peter." She promised. "Everything is going to be alright."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 – Epilogue**

******Well my computer is finally fixed and so as you can see the final chapter of this story is finally up! Hope the wait has been worth it, and I just wanted to say thank you to all my lovely readers for being so patient with me on this one, especially Leah Day! We finally made it! Enjoy the final read!**

Three weeks later Leah had been released from the hospital, and it had initially been scheduled that within a week following her discharge Peter too would also be allowed to return home. Although Peter had made great strides in his recovery over the preceding few weeks Rachel had been reluctant to let him leave so soon, given the potential for series complications in his condition if extreme caution and close observation wasn't exercised.

The shock of the incident had ricocheted throughout the small town, and created an emotional form of Mexican wave for the residents, where almost everybody knew everyone else and the Baker family had many close and loyal friends. As a result, an emotionally involved Rachel appeared to be leaving nothing to chance in the case of Peter, who'd been subjected to examination after examination, and test after extensive test in the weeks following his return to consciousness; blood and urine tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, and various other procedures which nobody was quite sure of the reason for. During this time Jack became a regular visitor to the hospital, as everybody struggled to keep a lid on their helpless anxiety as, after his initial apparently dramatic improvement, Peter 's condition continued to fluctuate. Some day's he'd be stronger than other's, the next day appearing slightly weaker and in significantly more pain as his damaged kidney teetered on the edge of what could be considered healthy and what was not… until finally he'd reached a turning point in his recovery, and to everyone's relief had started to improve.

Within a few days of receiving the latest results of Peter's extensive battery of tests, Rachel had finally relented, and a couple of days later Peter too had followed his sister-in-law home, Dan having already been discharged a couple of weeks previous.

It had long since been decided that he should come and stay with the two of them whilst he recovered, despite the fact that none of them were really up to the job of playing the role of nurse maid. It was out of the question that he could return home alone to his own flat. The young Detective was still on a cocktail of various medications which he had to take several times a day; painkillers, and pills to help repair his damaged kidney and increase renal function, powerful antibiotics to combat any potential infection, and both himself and Leah were on an extensive programme of physiotherapy.

The coma had left Peter significantly weakened, to the extent that a month on he was still walking with the aid of crutches, although they were all relieved when they finally received confirmation that he wouldn't require any further surgery. Leah had faired surprisingly better, the brain injury she'd sustained had initially left her with some partial weakness and loss of sensation but following only a few weeks of the therapy she'd regained complete function and sensation in each of her limbs, and by the time she'd returned home she could already walk unaided and had strength enough to lift and carry little VJ.

It had been initially difficult for all of them to return to the scene of the crime, and the incident which had devastated them all, and very nearly torn their lives apart, but they'd managed to come through the presented difficulties together, and surprised most by their resilience and determination not to be beaten… it hadn't taken the residence of Summer Bay long to realise that it would in fact take a lot to drag them down, although nobody could condemn them for the fact that a little redecorating had been in order.

Six months on from that however finally saw Peter was no longer still living with Dan and Leah, but in fact making preparations for his return to work, and back living at his old flat. It had been a long, and painful return to recovery… but he made no secret of the fact that he'd do it again, and that he'd have died for Dan and Leah that day if he'd had to… they'd just been relieved that it hadn't come to that.

Meanwhile Leah too was already back at work, and Dan had long ago returned to counselling at Summer Bay High. The three of them were closer than ever. Nobody could ever understand what had made the mysterious youth who'd crept into their lives on that dark night and almost turned all their lives and their small community upside down, to target the Baker's in the cold and callous way that he had, without reason or provocation. They'd never discovered his identity, and the police were convinced of the fact that they'd simply been the unlucky ones, in the wrong place at the wrong time. But despite this all of the Summer Bay residents remained united in the belief of one solid fact; that if it was going to happen to any of them Peter, Dan and Leah were the ones with the strength to survive, and battle through. They'd already proven that in the way they'd fought for their own survival and to return to some sort of normality… and now they could put the whole near tragic and terrifying series of events out of their minds, and were finally free to get on with their lives.


End file.
